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Opportunities 

in  the 

Motion  Picture 
Industry 


— and  how  to  qualify 
(or  positions  in  its 
many  branches 


Photoplay  Research  Society 

Bureau  of  Vocational  Guidance 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


u. 


Copyright.  1922 

Photoplay  Research  Society 
Los  Angeles.  California 

A  U  rights  reserved 


PN 

'.  ^ 


Foreword  ./    i 

Imagination 

The  Morals  of  the  Movies 

The  Romance  of  the  Screen 

A  Day  in  the  Studios 

Can  I  Appear  on  the  Screen? 

Are  You  a  Screen  Personality? 

Your  Opportunity  in  Motion  Pictures 

How  the  Casting  Director  Selects  Faces,  Forms  and  Types 

How  They  Broke  In 

Sudden  Stars 

Motion  Picture  Salaries;  What  the  Players  Really  Get 

Pick  ford  isms  for  Success 

Are  Producers  Really  Trying  to  Elevate  the  Screen 

Censorship.     Will  It  Solve  the  Problem? 

Financing  Motion  Pictures 

The  Truth  About  Hollywood 


1357179 


r  orewora 

OUR  destiny  changes  with  our  thotight;  we  shall 
become  what  we  wish  to  become,  do  what  we 
wish  to  do,  when  our  habitual  thought  corre- 
sponds  with   -our   desire.     "The   'divinity  that 
shapes  our  ends'  is  in  ourselves;  it  is  our  very 
self."     How  eloquent  are  those  simple  words!     The  very 
first  requirement  for  any  kind  of  success  is  confidence  in 
yourself.     Possessed  of  that  sterling  quality  everything  is 
possible !    To  think  that  you  can,  means  that  you  can.    And, 
of  course,  the  first  effort  to  reach  a  goal  is  not  necessarily  the 
successful  effort.    Keeping  everlastingly  at  it  is  what  eventu- 
ally lands  you  at  the  top  of  the  ladder. 

The  ladder  is  there !  Have  you  the  courage  to  attempt 
to  climb  it?  There  are  no  willing  hands  to  balance  it  for 
you.  It  must  stand  of  its  own  accord.  Can  you  reach  the 
top  without  toppling  over?  You  can!  But  that  thought 
must  be  uppermost  in  your  mind.  If  in  your  climb,  a  friend 
should  call  to  you,  asking  you  to  stop — would  you?  No! 
Remember  that.  Let  no  one  discourage  you  in  what  you 
wish  to  undertake.  Remember,  it  does  not  matter  what 
other  people  think  of  you — of  your  plans — of  your  aims.  It 
matters  not  whether  they  call  you  a  dreamer,  a  visionary,  a 
fool.  You  must  believe  in  yourself.  If  you  lose  your  con- 
fidence you  forsake  yourself. 

You  must  never  allow  anybody  to  shake  your  belief  in 
yourself.  Keep  a  firm  faith  in  your  ability  to  do  the  thing 
you  set  out  to  do,  be  it  the  writing  of  scenarios,  the  directing 
of  pictures,  the  playing  in  pictures  (or  anything).  If  you 
never  lose  faith  in  yourself  but  keep  pushing  on,  the 
world  will  sooner  or  later  make  a  place  for  you.  There 
is  no  law  by  which  you  can  ever  expect  to  achieve  success 
in  anything  without  expecting  it!  If  the  thing  you  dream 
of  is  to  come,  there  must  be  a  strong,  firm  self-faith ! 

Self-confidence  is  the  germ  of  success.  But  by  self- 
confidence,  we  do  not  mean  that  you  need  not  study  to  reach 
the  top  of  the  ladder.  That  you  must  do,  and  that  is 


why  we  have  asked  these  leaders  of  the  film  world  to  tell  you 
in  the  pages  of  these  volumes  certain  facts  that  we  felt  would 
assist  you.  We  have  asked  the  greatest  authorities  we  know 
of  to  write  for  you,  and  generously  they  have  responded. 

The  years  they  have  spent  in  motion  picture  work  are 
reflected  in  their  articles.  Study  them  closely.  Digest  the 
meaning  in  every  line.  If  your  opinions  do  not  coincide 
with  theirs,  change  your  opinions !  They  have  reached  the 
top  of  the  ladder  in  their  work — and  you  are  striving  to  do 
that  very  thing. 

Listen  to  their  advice.  It  is  told  in  simple  fashion. 
To  impart  to  you  knowledge  that  will  place  you  upon  a  firm 
footing,  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  was  the  thought  behind 
the  conception  of  this  book.  If  you  digest  the  sense  of 
these  articles,  you  will  in  truth  be  ready  to  start  your  climb 
up  the  ladder.  You  will  be  certain  at  least  of  knowing  that 
those  well  versed  in  their  work  have  tried  to  tell  you  what 
they  know.  From  then  on  it  is  up  to  you. 

It  is  reasonable  to  presume  that  the  information  in 
this  book  will  do  its  share  toward  fitting  you  for  a  motion 
picture  career  if  that  happens  to  be  your  bent.  But  we 
ask  you  to  remember  this :  When  you  have  finished  reading 
this  book,  you  will  be  standing  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder. 
The  ladder  is  before  you.  It  is  up  to  you  to  climb  to  the 
top!  You  can  do  it!  Confidence  is  your  ability,  and  a  firm 
determination  that  you  will  allow  no  one  to  sway  you  in 
your  decision  to  reach  the  top,  will  put  you  there. 

You  will  probably  be  better  fitted  to  start  your  climb 
once  you  have  read  these  volumes.  If  this  book  helps  you 
to  success,  we  will  feel  satisfied  that  it  has  not  failed  in  its 
mission. 

PHOTOPLAY  RESEARCH  SOCIETY. 


Los  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA. 


Imagination 


Reprinted  from  Photoplay  Magazine 

IMAGINATION  is  the  torch  which  has  guided  men 
down  the  dim  paths  of  the  ages.    It  has  ever  been  the 
supreme  force  in  the  onward  gropings  of  the  human 
race.    Imagination  has  created  the  dream  of  progress. 
It  has  fashioned  and  built  the  world.  It  has  penetrated 
the  hidden  secrets  of  life,  and  unearthed  the  glories  of 
inanimate  things. 

Imagination  has  given  us  the  enduring  beauty  of  great 
art,  the  inspiring  splendor  of  great  achievements.  In  all 
human  aspiration — from  the  lowliest  task  to  the  most  majes- 
tic enterprise — imagination  is  the  mainspring  of  success. 
When  the  imagination  fails,  the  germs  of  death  and  decay 
creep  in. 

Often  it  happens  that  the  brain  of  man  grows  tired 
and  complacent;  it  succumbs  to  fatigue  and  laissez  faire. 
And  then  it  is  that  the  mind  becomes  merely  a  capable 
mechanism,  performing  automatically  the  tasks  to  which 
it  long  has  been  accustomed.  Man  becomes  a  machine — 
the  imagination,  which  is  the  vitalizing  spirit  of  endeavor, 
has  ceased  to  function. 

This  apathy  is  the  normal  reaction  to  strain.  The 
mind,  like  the  body,  wears  down ;  it  loses  its  resiliency,  and 
weariness  sets  in.  We  call  it  "going  stale." 

After  years  of  tireless  effort  and  activity  the  makers 
of  motion  pictures  have  begun  to  "go  stale."  Their  elan 
and  enthusiasm  have  diminished.  Pictures  have  become 
too  formal,  too  orthodox.  They  follow  too  severely  the 
paths  of  tradition ;  they  adhere  too  closely  to  the  standards 
of  the  past. 

What  motion-picture  production  needs  today  is  an  infil- 
tration of  new  blood — new  thoughts,  new  dreams,  new  ideas, 
new  points  of  view — in  short,  a  new  imagination. 

It  is  true  that  the  motion-picture  industry  has  drawn 
into  its  ranks  many  eminent  authors  and  playwrights;  and 


8  Opportunities  in  the 

while  these  men  and  women  have  acomplished  much  that 
has  been  significant  and  worth  while,  they  have  failed  to 
revivify  the  art  of  the  films  as  it  might  have  been  revivified. 
Their  very  popularity  in  the  world  of  letters — the  fact  that 
they  were  so  widely  accepted  by  the  public — was,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  an  argument  against  their  originality  and  the 
freshness  of  their  imagination. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  in  America  many  young 
creative  men,  rich  in  experimental  ideas  and  unspoiled  by 
tradition,  who  are  untrammelled  by  the  demands  of  a  con- 
ventional popular  following,  and  who  are  striving  earnestly 
for  a  new  ideal,  for  an  original  means  of  expression.  They 
are  the  true  harbingers  of  progress — the  apostles  of  the 
great  new  movement  in  all  branches  of  human  thought  and 
activity,  which  is  sweeping  over  the  world  today. 

These  are  the  men  whom  the  motion  pictures  need, 
for  these  are  the  men  who  symbolize  imagination. 

Imagination ! 

Without  it  no  enterprise,  no  work  of  art,  can  live  tor 
long ;  for  without  it  the  soul  of  achievement  is  lacking. 


Motion  Picture  Industry 


THE  MORALS  OF  THE  MOVIES. 

WHAT  a  vast  amount  of  talk  has  gone  the  rounds 
about  the  morals  of  the  movies!    And  how  much 
of  it  has  been  untrue !    How  free  some  people  are 
to  repeat  things  they  hear  about  the  movie  folk, 
tales  which  they  have  heard  others,  as  poorly  informed, 
repeat. 

Why,  I  wonder?  Why  is  it  that  people  are  so  free  to 
brand  others?  At  every  gathering  nowadays  the  conversa- 
tion, sooner  or  later,  turns  to  the  movies.  And  once  this 
happens,  have  you  ever  noticed  that  there  is  always  some- 
one who  has  a  choice  bit  of  gossip  to  spread?  How  easily 
these  scandalmongers  defame  the  good  name  of  perfectly 
good  people.  If  you  were  to  ask  them  the  source  of  their 
information,  they  could  only  say  someone  told  them  so! 

There  is  nothing  the  matter  with  the  morals  of  the 
movies!  In  the  movies,  just  as  in  every  walk  of  life,  there 
are  persons  whose  conduct  does  not  conform  to  the  rigid 
conventions  of  society  at  large.  The  accepted  conventions 
of  reputable  people  are  not  accepted  by  some.  But — have 
you  ever  stopped  to  consider  that  in  every  walk  of  life, 
everywhere,  in  every  field  of  endeavor,  in  every  small  town, 
in  every  hamlet,  and  in  every  city  there  are  those  who  quite 
freely  break  these  conventions? 

Hidden  by  their  obscurity,  their  acts  go  by  unnoticed. 
But  let  a  movie  star  or  player  of  just  a  little  prominence 
commit  an  act  that  the  world  frowns  upon,  and  what  hap- 
pens? 

The  newspapers  immediately  announce,  in  glaring  head- 
lines, that  "another  movie  party"  has  been  given.  They 
even  go  so  far  as  to  point,  with  scorn,  to  affairs  long  since 
forgotten. 

I,  for  one,  though  far  from  advocating  a  policy  of 
shielding  a  wrongdoer,  want  to  go  on  record  as  saying  that 
I  do  not  believe  it  is  fair  to  the  motion  picture  industry  to 
have  the  acts  of  a  few  of  its  members  pointed  to  as  examples 
of  the  morals  of  thousands  of  other  hardworking  individuals 


10  Opportunities  in  the 

who  contribute  their  time  and  energy  to  the  entertainment 
of  the  world  at  large !    It  is  absolutely  unjust. 

What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  Don't  you  think 
the  time  is  ripe  for  you  to  discourage  any  stories  that  you 
feel  are  untrue  ?  Will  you  sit  idly  by  and  allow  your  favor- 
ites to  be  branded,  when  there  is  really  no  foundation  for 
most  of  the  reports  that  are  sent  broadcast,  to  be  eagerly 
swallowed,  and  many  times  believed  by  a  credulous  public? 
Too  much  has  been  said  and  too  little  proved  about  the 
morals  of  the  movies. 

In  the  movies — as  in  any  other  walk  of  life— you  will 
find  that  you  will  be  treated  in  as  courteous  a  manner  as  in 
any  other  environment.  A  woman  will  always  find  that  a 
man  will  judge  her  by  the  standard  she  sets  for  herself.  If 
you  encounter  here  and  there  a  man  or  woman  who  does 
not  abide  by  the  accepted  conventions,  remember  that  if  you 
were  in  some  other  line  of  work,  you  would  meet  just  as 
many  persons  who  would  be  capable  of  committing  the  same 
social  errors. 

If  in  your  family  there  are  some  members  who  are  try- 
ing to  break  into  the  movies,  the  sooner  they  learn  that 
they  will  meet  as  many  honorable  men  and  women  in  their 
chosen  profession  as  they  would  in  any  other — the  sooner 
they  learn  that  they  are  not  entering  upon  a  life  of  ease  and 
luxury  just  because  they  hope  to  break  into  the  movies — 
the  sooner  they  learn  that  success  can  only  crown  their 
efforts  if  they  will  work  hard,  so  soon  will  they  have  been 
set  right !  And  as  for  yourselves — I  beg  you  not  to  believe 
all  that  you  hear. 

Through  many  years  of  close  association  with  this  great 
industry,  I  have  come  to  know  that  it  is  peopled  with  men 
and  women  of  high  character,  of  sincere  motives,  of  honest 
and  faithful  endeavor. 

To  those  who  are  ever  ready  to  soil  the  good  name  of 
others,  I  might  say:  Have  a  care  lest  your  own  errors  be 
discovered.  Remember : 

"He  among  you  who  is  without  sin,  cast  ye  the 

first  stone."  „,        _, 

— THE  EDITOR. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  11 

THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  SCREEN 

By  JAMES  R.  QUIRK 

Editor  and  Publisher,  Photoplay  Magazine 

FROM  that  memorable  day  in  1883,  when  the  first 
practical  showing  of  motion  pictures  for  public  enter- 
tainment was  made,  down  to  the  present  time  when 
Messmore  Kendall  in  his  splendid  Capitol  Theatre, 
New  York  City,  and  Messrs.  Balaban  and  Katz,  in  their 
magnificent  Tivoli  and  Chicago  Theatres,  in  Chicago,  are 
screening  pictures  in  such  a  fashion  as  would  delight  the 
most  fastidious  of  patrons,  the  phenomenal  development  of 
the  motion  picture  industry  easily  is  one  of  the  outstanding 
romances  of  modern  day  business  life. 

In  the  wonderful  motion  picture  palaces  of  the  present 
day  echo  the  timid  steps  of  the  show  child  of  yesterday. 
They  are  truly  unique  institutions  in  the  world  of  theatricals. 
In  these  magnificent  theatres  the  motion  picture  finds  its 
fullest  expression. 

Nor  are  New  York  or  Chicago  alone  in  their  possession 
of  theatres  ideally  managed,  architecturally  beautiful  and 
splendidly  patronized.  It  is  fitting  that  Los  Angeles,  as  the 
world's  center  of  motion  picture  activity,  should  be  the  home 
of  such  nationally  famed  entertainment  institutions  as  Gore 
Brothers  and  Sol  Lesser's  divine  Kinema  Theatre,  and  Sid 
Grauman's  Million  Dollar  Theatre. 

And,  well  advised  by  the  trade  papers  of  this  great 
industry,  smaller  theatres,  of  similar  importance  in  their 
respective  localities,  look  to  these  wonderful  temples  of  the 
silent  drama  for  guidance  as  to  the  manner  of  presenting  the 
motion  picture,  so  that  their  patrons  may  find  continually 
greater  pleasure  in  the  photoplay. 

So  great  has  been  the  demand  for  motion  pictures,  since 
first  they  were  flashed  upon  the  screen,  depicting  nothing 
more  than  a  moving  train  or  a  horseman  galloping  along  a 
road,  that  today  we  find  millions  of  dollars  invested  in 
what  has  grown  to  be  the  fourth  industry  of  the  United 


12  Opportunities  in  the 

States.     Think  of  it!     The   fourth  industry  of  this  great 
country !    What  romance  lies  in  the  years  since  1893 ! 

Let  us  look  back  a  moment  into  the  mirror  of  time. 
In  the  beginning,  motion  pictures  were  looked  upon  as 
"chasers"  for  vaudeville  houses  that  ran  what  is  known 
as  a  continuous  show.  In  other  words,  the  pictures  had  such 
little  entertainment  value  that  whenever  it  was  the  desire 
of  the  management  to  get  the  people  out  of  the  theatre, 
a  movie  was  put  on  and  a  goodly  portion  of  the  patrons 
would  leave  in  disgust,  rather  than  sit  through  a  picture  to 
await  the  vaudeville  bill  which  they  had  already  seen  once, 
but  which,  had  not  the  picture  been  flashed  upon  the  screen, 
they  would  quite  willingly  see  again. 

Times  have  changed.  Now,  how  willingly  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  pleasure  seekers  stand  patiently  in  line 
awaiting  their  chance  to  view  the  screening  of  a  modern- 
day  filmplay.  But  pictures  have  changed  with  the  times. 
No  longer  are  we  asked  to  sit  through  the  action  of  a  moving 
train,  or  galloping  horseman. 

Film  masterpieces,  such  as  "The  Four  Horsemen  of  the 
Apocalypse,"  "Way  Down  East,"  "The  Three  Musketeers," 
"The  Old  Nest,"  "Humoresque"  and  countless  others 
now  lure  millions  of  people  to  motion  picture  theatres. 

And  what  made  all  this  possible  ?  What  caused  magnifi- 
cent temples  of  entertainment  to  rise  where  "store  shows" 
once  held  sway?  What  caused  hundreds  of  screen  classics 
to  take  their  place  upon  the  same  screens  that  once  portrayed 
only  film  material  of  the  lowest  order? 

Ah !    That  is  the  Romance  of  the  Screen ! 

To  the  men  and  women,  who  in  the  earliest  days  of 
motion  pictures,  gave  freely  of  their  time  and  energy,  stuck 
to  their  tasks  when  many  ridiculed  their  efforts,  must  go 
the  major  portion  of  any  glory  that  may  belong  to  the 
founders  of  this  great  art.  To  them  a  now  thoroughly  loyal 
multitude  owes  a  great  debt  of  gratitude.  Their  efforts 
alone  have  made  possible  the  only  form  of  entertainment 
that  is  understood  and  loved  by  all,  irrespective  of  race, 
creed,  color,  nationality,  or  station.  In  the  remotest  corners 


Motion  Picture  Industry  13 

of  the  world,  as  well  as  on  Broadway  and  countless  other 
"Main  Streets,"  motion  pictures  have  found  their  place. 
When  you  laugh  at  the  antics  of  Charlie  Chaplin,  marvel  at 
the  forceful  acting  of  such  stars  as  Richard  Barthelmess, 
Lillian  Gish,  Pauline  Frederick,  Ethel  Clayton,  Nazimova, 
Bert  Lytell,  or  admire  the  breezy  style  of  Wally  Reid,  Bebe 
Daniels,  and  Mae  Murray,  do  you  think  that  you  alone  in 
your  little  cushioned  seat  are  finding  entertainment  and 
recreation  with  your  favorites?  Your  favorites  indeed  are 
the  favorites  of  millions  of  others  in  every  civilized  corner 
of  the  world.  There  again  you  have  the  Romance  of  the 
Screen. 

Drawn  against  a  background  of  years  of  ceaseless  effort 
is  the  success  story  of  the  motion  picture.  A  grateful  public 
will  always  pay  homage  to  the  names  of  David  Wark  Griff- 
ith, Thomas  H.  Ince,  Adolph  Zukor,  Jesse  L.  Lasky,  Carl 
Laemmle,  and  probably  a  handful  of  others  who,  to  this 
day,  not  only  are  still  identified  with  the  industry  they 
helped  make  possible,  but,  as  is  their  just  reward,  are  leaders 
in  it. 

In  the  earliest  days  of  motion  pictures,  motion  picture 
studios  were  indeed  nothing  more  than  small  barnlike 
affairs,  well  hidden  from  public  view.  Exteriors  were  made 
amid  the  derision  of  passersby.  When,  some  ten  years  ago, 
Al  Christie  took  the  first  pictures  ever  made  in  Hollywood, 
that  city  received  its  introduction  to  the  mysteries  of  the 
camera.  What  that  introduction  meant  to  the  lower  Cali- 
fornia metropolis  is  now  history. 

Mr.  Christie,  more  venturesome  than  his  fellow  pro- 
ducers, unconsciously  played  the  role  of  filmdom's  Co- 
lumbus. He  was  soon  followed  by  many  others,  and  the 
Hollywood  section  of  Los  Angeles,  because  it  was  invaded 
by  motion  picture  producing  companies  of  all  kinds,  soon 
became  known  as  the  capital  of  the  film  world. 

Soon  after  the  invasion  of  Hollywood,  the  standard  of 
motion  picture  productions  ascended.  Ideal  climatic  con- 
ditions made  possible  the  filming  of  better  pictures.  Incor- 
porating the  rugged  scenes  of  California  in  the  pictures 
also  helped  to  attract  attention  to  the  screen,  and  little  by 


14  Opportunities  in  tlve 

little,  the  standard  of  the  film  play  rose  to  its  present 
height  due,  in  part,  to  the  influence  of  this  California  garden 
spot. 

Consider  a  moment  the  magnificent  productions  now 
reaching  the  screen.  Douglas  Fairbanks  surely  has  given 
us  a  masterpiece  in  his  "Three  Musketeers."  Do  you 
remember  reading  this  wonderful  story  ?  I  do.  Never  will 
I  forget  how,  as  a  boy,  I  thrilled  when  I  read  of  D'Artagnan 
making  his  memorable  dash  from  Paris  to  England !  Little, 
did  I  dream  then  that  I  would  one  day  see  him  do  this 
in  the  flesh.  There's  romance  for  you !  To  have  a  "story" 
idol  come  to  life!  Think  of  it!  One's  greatest  hero,  the 
one  figure  that  has  stood  out  in  one's  mind — a  last  remaining 
bit  of  boyhood  coming  back !  And  with  his  coming,  he  calls 
to  life  that  which  as  a  boy,  I  was  to  know  only  through 
the  clever  depiction  of  a  master  writer.  Ah,  Dumas, 
would  that  you  were  alive  today,  so  that  you,  too,  could  see 
your  beloved  D'Artagnan  dash  forth  to  save  the  honor  of  a 
queen ! 

And  "The  Four  Horsemen  of  the  Apocalypse" !  Won- 
der of  wonders !  Have  you  read  the  story  that  brought  V. 
Blasco  Ibanez  to  fame?  It  is  superb.  To  live  the  story 
with  the  characters  and  then  to  have  the  privilege  of  visiting 
a  theatre,  there  to  meet  them  personally.  How  wonderful ! 
On  all  sides  I  have  heard  speculation  as  to  the  probable 
cost  of  this  stupendous  filmplay.  Would  it  interest  you 
to  know  that  in  transferring  this  historical  romance  to  the 
screen  from  the  pages  of  the  world  famous  novel,  prac- 
tically every  known  record  of  the  motion  picture  industry 
was  broken? 

The  setting  up  of  new  records  for  motion  picture  pro- 
ducers of  the  future  to  equal  or  surpass  comes  about  through 
the  greatness  of  a  story  such  as  "The  Four  Horsemen  of  the 
Apocalypse."  Its  characters  work  out  their  destinies  on  two 
hemispheres.  From  the  far-flung  ranges  of  the  Argentine 
to  the  capitals  of  Europe  the  characters  in  this  master  work 
of  fiction  are  faithfully  portrayed  on  the  screen,  as  the 
story  works  out  its  tense  human  drama  against  the  back- 
ground of  a  world  in  arms. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  15 

South  America,  England,  France,  Belgium,  Germany — 
these  lands  and  multitudes  of  their  people  are  depicted 
before  the  camera  for  the  colossal  Metro  production.  Even 
the  unprecedented  expense  of  a  million  dollars  in  produc- 
tion costs  has  been  dwarfed  to  insignificance  by  the  physical 
magnitude  of  the  undertaking  that  made  the  screen  version 
of  "The  Four  Horsemen"  a  possibility.  Statistics  compiled 
at  the  Metro  studios  indicate  that  the  Metro  production, 
judged  by  all  the  known  standards  of  picture-making,  is 
the  most  gigantic  photo-spectacle  in  the  history  of  the  silent 
drama. 

The  actual  photoplay  of  Ibanez's  epochal  novel  took 
more  than  six  months  to  complete,  following  an  equal  period 
of  time  consumed  in  building  the  tremendous  settings,  as- 
sembling the  great  cast  of  principals  and  extras  and  drilling 
the  thousands  of  men  portraying  the  armies,  gathering  cos- 
tumes, works  of  art,  searching  historical  records  to  make 
possible  a  faithful  presentation  and  the  thousand  and  one 
other  details  which  form  part  of  such  an  unprecedented 
undertaking. 

A  total  of  12,500  men  and  women,  a  number  equal 
to  the  adult  population  of  a  city  of  60,000,  participated  in 
the  filming  of  the  picture,  either  before  the  camera  or  as 
workers  on  the  big  sets.  The  cast  interpreting  the  roles 
contains  two  dozen  principals  who,  in  other  productions, 
would  be  rated  as  stars. 

To  dress  these  principals  and  the  thousands  of  extras, 
a  costume  factory  was  erected  on  the  Hollywood  studio 
grounds.  An  armory  and  two  machine  shops  were  inci- 
dentals of  the  building  operations  that  were  completed  be- 
fore the  first  scene  of  the  picture  was  photographed. 

Fourteen  camera  men  and  a  dozen  assistant  .directors 
were  used  in  the  picturing  of  the  production,  every  avail- 
able spot  where  the  eye  of  the  camera  might  find  a  new 
or  artistic  view  of  the  big  scenes  being  used. 

More  than  500,000  feet  of  raw  film  was  exposed  in 
the  taking  of  the  picture,  which  on  the  screen  does  not 
exceed  12,000  feet.  Of  these,  eighty-five  miles  of  film — 


16  Opportunities  in  the 

enough  to  reach  to  the  top  of  the  Woolworth  tower  and 
back  617  times — that  part  which  is  presented  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  those  seeing  the  picture  takes  but  two  hours 
and  forty-five  minutes.  The  time  allowed  for  the  regular 
productions  of  the  speaking  stage. 

The  task  of  editing  this  mass  of  material,  of  eliminating 
the  duplicates  and  all  but  the  perfect  reproductions  of  the 
scenes  enacted  before  the  camera,  consumed  weeks.  The 
mere  running  of  500,000  feet  of  film  through  one  camera, 
at  the  rate  of  sixty  feet  to  the  minute,  would  consume 
eighteen  days  of  eight  working  hours  each. 

More  building  materials  were  employed  in  the  making 
of  the  picture  than  were  required  to  erect  the  Woolworth 
Building;  125,000  tons  of  steel,  concrete  and  lumber  were 
used.  The  settings  for  "The  Four  Horsemen  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse," among  them  an  entire  French  village,  which  were 
constructed  far  more  substantially  than  most  backgrounds 
for  camera  work,  involved  the  use  of  a  tremendous  amount 
of  masonry,  steel,  lumber,  furniture  and  shrubberies. 

An  entire  French  village,  capable  of  housing  6,000  per- 
sons, was  created  in  the  foothills  of  the  San  Bernardino 
mountains  in  Southern  California  and  destroyed  for  the 
purpose  of  the  production.  Since  the  destruction  was  by 
artillery,  it  was  necessary  to  construct  every  building  com- 
pletely rather  than  building  fronts  only,  as  is  done  with 
most  picture  sets. 

Vast  quantities  of  food  were  provided  by  Metro  to 
feed  the  12,000  persons  appearing  in  the  picture  while  they 
were  working  "on  location."  A  luncheon  was  given  free  to 
each  "extra"*  player,  in  addition  to  his  or  her  pay  for  the 
day's  work  when  employed  at  a  distance  from  the  studios. 
The  task  of  feeding  these  thousands  of  "extras"  was  on 
a  scale  comparable  with  that  of  an  army. 

A  complete  telephone  system,  involving  the  use  of  a 
corps  of  electricians,  operators  and  a  small  fortune  in  cable 
and  other  materials,  was  erected  on  the  mountain  ranch 
where  the  big  exterior  scenes  were  filmed. 

The  collection  of  art  treasures  seen,  in  the  picture 
represents  not  only  the  expenditure  of  large  sums  of  money, 


Motion  Picture  Industry  17 

but  a  canvass  of  the  art  world  for  tapestries,  paintings, 
curios  and  musical  instruments  such  as  are  described  by 
Ibanez  as  used  in  the  South  American  phases  of  the  story. 
The  art  treasures,  however,  were  loaned  by  their  owners, 
many  of  whom  would  not  consider  putting  a  price  on  them. 
The  insurance  of  the  tapestries  and  paintings  used  in  the 
picture  alone  amounted  to  $375,000. 

Romance,  did  you  say?  Where  does  it  come  in  when 
motion  pictures  are  considered  ?  Think  of  the  courage  and  the 
confidence  needed  by  the  producers  of  this  one  picture 
alone  to  put  a  million  dollars  into  its  making.  What  if  it 
had  failed  to  make  good?  A  princely  fortune  would  have 
been  lost,  and  millions  would  have  been  denied  the  privilege 
of  seeing  this  everlasting  indictment  of  warfare. 

Nor  has  the  screen  art  in  its  upward  climb  wanted  for 
company.  Music, — its  co-art, — too,  has  profited  from  its 
success.  But  with  that  profit  has  come  also  a  strong  friend 
for  the  screen.  Powerful  as  the  screen  may  be,  great  as 
may  be  the  messages  it  sends  forth  each  night  to  countless 
thousands,  there  still  remains  the  fact  that  it  is  dumb.  To 
music,  then,  has  fallen  the  task  of  becoming  the  Voice  of 
the  Screen.  And  well  indeed  has  this  fellow  art  risen  to 
the  duty.  The  film  itself  is  an  unplayed  symphony  that 
needs  music  to  awaken  it  into  life. 

Music,  the  divinest  of  arts,  has  been  wedded  to  the  uni- 
versal language  of  the  silver-sheet  in  a  new  harmony.  In 
its  association  with  the  screen,  music  represents  not  the 
blatant  blare  of  the  trumpet,  but  some  sensitive  instrument 
that  interprets  the  drama's  mood  and  theme.  Surely,  then, 
it  is  the  voice  that  will  creep  beyond  the  shadows  and  speak 
with  the  understanding  tongue  to  all.  Thus  we  have  the 
screen  and  music  wedded,  one  to  the  other,  and  from 
their  union  has  sprung  a  symphony  of  sight  and  sound 
which,  with  subtle  persuasion,  can  sway  the  soul  in  per- 
fect rhythm.  Master  musicians,  men  like  Carl  Edouardo, 
Hugo  Riesengeld,  Joseph  Carl  Breil,  Erno  Rapee  and  James 
C.  Bradford,  men  who  have  spent  years  in  perfecting  the  art 
of  adapting  music  to  the  action  of  the  screen,  have  now 
fashioned  in  synchronized  form,  musical  scores  that  make 
the  empty  shadows  of  men  and  women  of  the  screen  throb 


18  Opportunities  in  the 

with  the  breath  of  life.  With  changing  tempi,  the  moods  are 
transferred  from  the  screen  to  the  very  soul  of  the  audience. 
Crash  of  cymbal  may  color  some  primitive  impulse, 
while  the  unity  of  strings  symbolizes  life  in  its  divinest 
phases ! 

So  we  have  the  trinity  linking  this  great  art  with  the 
affections  of  an  admiring  public.  First  the  men  and  women 
pioneers  of  the  industry — both  producer  and  player — then 
the  splendid  productions  they  give  the  public — and  then, 
the  ultra-comfortable  theatres  serving  as  an  avenue  of  in- 
troduction between  producer,  player  and  public. 

Again  a  touch  of  romance,  in  the  meeting  of  all  three ! 
Just  think  what  they  have  come  to  mean  to  each  other — 
what  joy  countless  folks  derive  from  meeting  their  favorites 
via  the  screen  route.  What  pride  the  producer  takes  in 
knowing  that  he  is  furnishing  entertainment  to  millions — 
and  what  glory  to  the  theatre  owner,  who  today  knows  that 
in  all  the  world  there  are  no  finer  motion  picture  theatres 
than  America  possesses. 

Progress — that  one  great  world  factor — has  not  been 
lacking  in  the  development  of  the  motion  picture.  Of 
theatres  little  need  be  said.  You  come  quite  close  to  them 
through  your  personal  association  with  them.  On  all  hands 
you  can  see  them.  Wonderful  tributes  to  a  great  industry. 

But  how  few  of  you  know  the  studios.  Not  the 
studios  of  the  present  time.  Of  them  a  great  deal  has  been 
written.  Though  this  industry  is  not  aged,  it  nevertheless 
has  a  Pompeii  of  its  own.  All  the  splendid  traditions  of 
the  famous  old  Roman  city  are  reflected  in  the  past  glories 
of  deserted  California  film  colonies.  You  wonder  that  there 
are  many!  Oh,  yes,  there  are!  Remember,  progress  has 
been  the  picture's  partner.  So  we  find  today,  as  we  roam 
over  Los  Angeles  and  its  environs,  much  that  recalls  for- 
gotten old  scenes.  All  are  still  possessed  of  romantic  power 
when  the  feats  and  favorites  of  yesterday  are  linked  with 
them. 

At  Inceville,  once  the  center  of  production,  and  that 
not  so  long  ago,  there  has  been  left  to  disintegrate  under 
the  sweep  of  wind  and  the  rush  of  streams  from  the  hill- 
side, a  veritable  ghost  city  of  filmland. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  19 

Come  with  me  for  just  a  moment;  we'll  look  over  old 
Inceville.  We  pass  through  the  gates  of  Inceville!  The 
spell  of  the  past  comes  over  me.  I  recall  a  day,  years 
before,  when  I  had  come  fresh  from  the  East  to  explore 
the  mysteries  of  Inceville.  Today,  we  see  it  deserted ;  then 
it  was  over-populated.  The  walls  of  many  buildings,  though 
weather  beaten,  still  stand  curiously  preserved.  An  old 
church,  reminiscent  of  Billie  Burke's  first  picture,  "Peggy," 
still  stands  as  some  master  mind  had  ordered  it  placed.  The 
sun  has  seared  the  ivy,  clinging  to  its  walls.  And  there, 
along  the  shore  line,  stands  a  quaint  row  of  moldering  old 
dwellings,  while  at  the  end  of  the  twisting  play  street,  re- 
mains the  last  living  mark  of  that  film  masterpiece,  "Civiliza- 
tion"— a  weather  beaten  old  lighthouse! 

Then  we  come  to  the  dressing  rooms!  What 
memories!  What  stories  of  oft  repeated  ambitions  those 
old  walls  could  tell !  How  many  of  the  stars  and  featured 
players  of  today  whispered  their  confidence  in  ultimate  suc- 
cess to  those  old  walls,  now  quite  barren,  deserted,  decaying. 
Charlie  Ray!  Louise  Glaum!  Clara  Williams!  Bessie 
Love — hundreds  of  others!  What  pledges  of  future  great- 
ness did  you  make,  one  to  the  other,  in  the  stillness  of  your 
Inceville  dressing  rooms?  And  how  wonderfully  you  have 
fulfilled  them. 

As  we  make  our  way  through  these  old  rooms,  mere 
cubby-holes  when  compared  to  the  airy  dressing  rooms  of 
the  modern  studio,  we  come  across  stray  pictures  tacked  to 
the  wall,  and  here  and  there,  after  the  fashion  of  young  lov- 
ers, initials  cut  in  the  woodwork.  Some  were  linked 
with  others.  One  in  particular  attracts  me.  "W.  D."  and 
right  close  to  it,  "M.  Mel."  Quickly  I  recall  the  romance 
of  "Bill"  Desmond  and  charming  Mary  Mclvor.  Romance, 
indeed ;  the  place  is  full  of  it.  And  all  of  it  but  a  part  of 
the  Romance  of  the  Screen. 

The  years  1912  to  1916  saw  the  heyday  of  popularity 
and  usefulness  for  Inceville.  There,  beside  the  blue  Pacific, 
stars  were  made;  pictures  of  every  description  filmed.  It 
was  here  that  Sessue  Hayakawa,  son  of  Nippon,  soared  to 
the  zenith  of  dramatic  success  and  wove  the  speil  of  the 
Orient  into  his  pictures,  delighting  thousands  with  his 


20  Opportunities  in  the 

characterizations.  Here,  too,  Dorothy  Dalton  first  came 
into  prominence.  And  Frank  Keenan  gave  his  splendid  art 
to  the  screen.  "Bill"  Hart,  best  beloved  of  all  western  char- 
acters, gave  his  rugged  personality  to  the  world  at  Ince- 
ville.  I  remember  him  plainly  now  as  I  saw  him  there 
almost  nine  years  ago.  Garbed  in  chaps,  high  boots  and 
rough  wool  shirt,  his  spurs  clanking  at  each  step,  and 
carrying  huge  revolvers,  he  was  hurrying  to  his  "set."  "Bill" 
Desmond,  in  ministerial  garb,  Louise  Glaum,  looking  like 
a  dance  hall  queen  of  the  days  of  the  old  west, — they,  and 
many  others  familiar  to  you,  were  all  present  there  at  one 
time  or  another. 

The  hillsides  were  dotted  with  tents  and  tepees  where 
camped  Indians  and  cowboys.  Props  for  all  manner  of 
outdoor  scenes  abounded  in  the  Inceville  of  old. 

And  then  came  the  change  in  motion  picture  "styles." 
No  longer  was  the  western  picture  the  favorite.  The  public 
craved  the  "society"  picture.  The  home  picture.  The  in- 
door picture.  That  was  the  sounding  of  the  final  reveille  for 
Inceville.  The  demand  for  interior  scenes  caused  the  clever 
Ince  to  remove  his  traps  to  Culver  City.  The  place  of  his 
beginnings  was  meant  primarily  as  an  outdoor  studio.  So, 
with  a  last  farewell,  he  summoned  his  staffs  and  silently 
they  departed  from  the  scenes  of  their  early  triumphs. 

But  it  was  a  wonderful  place.  It  was  the  school,  the 
college  and  the  university  of  many  present  day  favorites. 
They  were  just  plain  movie  players  then!  Often,  after  a 
hard  day's  work — a  day  measured  only  by  the  length  of  time 
the  sun  shone — everybody  would  walk  the  few  steps  sepa- 
rating them  from  the  ocean,  and  play  about  in  its  re- 
freshing waters.  How  good  the  tiny  waves  felt  as  they 
caressed  the  body.  And  after  the  dip,  scenario  writers, 
directors,  players — all  would  assemble  on  one  of  the  outdoor 
stages  and  there  rehearse  new  productions. 

Ah,  yes,  those  were  the  days  of  work — the  days  of 
achievement — those  were  the  people  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  wonder  building  of  today.  How  well  they  built 
is  known  to  all.  Romance — can  you  think  of  a  day  in 
motion  pictures  without  it? 


>  Motion  Picture  Industry  21 

In  the  East,  too,  even  in  those  days,  pioneers  were 
cutting  a  path.  Adolph  Zukor  built  the  first  Famous  Play- 
er's studio  on  26th  Street,  New  York — long  since  forgotten. 
Might  it  not  be  well  if  I  gave  Sarah  Bernhardt  the  credit 
due  her,  here  and  now?  Unknown  to  you,  possibly,  as  a 
modern  "fan,"  she  was  one  of  the  very  first  of  the 
noted  players  to  appear  on  the  screen.  Her  "Queen  Eliza- 
beth" made  it  possible  for  Mr.  Zukor  to  found  what  is 
today  the  mammoth  Famous  Players-Lasky  Corporation. 

Once  she  appeared  on  the  screen  in  this  stirring  tale, 
leading  actors  and  actresses  began  to  feel  the  lure  of  the 
screen.  James  K.  Hackett  responded  to  the  call  of  Mr.  Zu- 
kor, and  the  first  five-reel  picture  was  made — "The  Prisoner 
of  Zenda,"  starring  Mr.  Hackett.  And  Mary  Pickford,  just 
fresh  from  the  culmination  of  her  first  motion  picture  con- 
tract— that  with  the  Biograph  Company — came  then  to  Mr. 
Zukor  and  they  made  another  multiple  reel  picture,  "The 
Good  Little  Devil." 

And  so,  with  the  filming  of  the  more  pretentious  pic- 
tures, the  Famous  Players  Company  soon  sought  other  quar- 
ters and  located  finally  in  studios  but  recently  deserted  by 
them  on  West  56th  Street,  close  to  7th  Avenue,  where  many 
of  their  wonderful  pictures  were  made.  Of  course,  the 
West  was  not  forgotten.  Producing  units  were  working 
there,  too,  for  Famous  Players. 

And  Edison!  Remember  those  old  pictures?  Down 
on  West  25th  Street,  in  New  York,  between  Broadway  and 
Fourth  Avenue,  on  the  roof  of  a  building,  the  first  Edison 
picture  was  made.  Vitagraph,  too,  then  just  getting  started, 
used  the  roof  of  an  office  building  located  at  150  Nassau 
Street,  New  York,  to  film  their  first  productions.  In  fact, 
in  many  places  all  over  New  York,  pioneers  were  experi- 
menting with  the  motion  picture,  seeing  in  the  future  the 
value  of  the  silent  drama  as  an  entertainment  factor.  And 
thousands  laughed  at  their  efforts.  That's  Romance  for  you. 

Many  people  say,  "The  movies  are  in  their  infancy." 
I  doubt  it.  What  greater  measures  of  perfection  can  they 
reach  ?  Photography,  of  present  day  pictures,  is  marvelous. 
Characterization  often  superb.  Scenic  effects  wonderful. 
What  is  lacking?  The  story  only !  And  the  most  wonderful 


22  Opportunities  in  the  < 

part  of  it  is  that  everybody,  layman  and  professionals  alike, 
can  share  in  the  glory  of  writing  the  story.  Can  you  write? 
Have  you  imagination?  If  so,  hasten  to  w/ork!  Delay  no 
longer !  Would  you  add  to  the  Romance  of  the  Screen  ?  Then 
give  it  your  stories.  The  screen  is  not  in  its  infancy.  It  is 
a  bit  stunted,  however,  in  growth.  Can  you  minister  to  it? 
Write,  write  and  write  some  more,  or  the  screen  must  perish. 
The  story  is  its  food.  Where  are  the  stories?  Why  not 
more  "Ten  Dollar  Raises,"  more  "Old  Nests,"  more  "Helio- 
tropes," more  "Humoresques,"  "Male  and  Females,"  more 
"Way  Down  Easts"  and  "Broken  Blossoms"  ?  More,  Oh, 
more  of  them,  or  the  screen  must  perish. 

The  Romance  of  the  Screen!  How  wonderful  that 
this  industry  should  have  reached  its  present  pinnacle ;  from 
there  to  give  hours  of  pleasure,  of  recreation,  and  enter- 
tainment to  all  the  people  of  the  earth.  And  now,  for  it  to 
continue  in  its  place,  new  faces,  new  stories,  new  ideas  must 
enter. 

Store  shows  gave  way  to  modern  theatres — mediocre 
film-plays  of  the  past  have  been  transformed  to  master  screen 
productions — actors  and  actresses  of  the  highest  type  are 
daily  lending  their  art  to  the  screen — on  the  sites  of  barn- 
like  studios,  magnificent  plants  equipped  with  every  modern 
device  for  furthering  the  screen  art  have  been  built.  But 
one  remaining  improvement  can  be  made.x  The  story !  All 
other  branches  of  the  industry — all  other  phases  of  the  art 
have  been  perfected.  Only  this  field  remains  unexplored. 
Hundreds  of  men  and  women  will  win  fame  and  fortune 
writing  moving  picture  stories.  This  is  the  real  Romance 
of  the  Screen. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  23 


A  DAY  IN  THE  STUDIOS 

With  DAVID  STRONG 

THE  birthplace  of  the  motion  picture!  That's  what 
the  motion  picture  studio  is!  A  queer  place  indeed, 
almost  like  a  melting  pot,  for  within  its  walls  there  is 
found  the  meeting  place  of  the  artistic  and  the  com- 
mercial. 

So  well  do  the  artistic  and  the  commercial  extremes 
harmonize  that  today  we  find  the  motion  picture  steadily 
rising  to  undreamed-of  heights.  Each  year,  since  the  birth 
of  this  newest  of  the  world's  really  great  industries,  it  has 
soared  to  greater  heights,  not  only  in  public  favor,  but  in 
artistic  triumphs  as  well. 

The  roughly  constructed  building,  boasting  only  a  tar 
paper  covering  for  its  cheap  pine  timbers,  which  doubtless 
served  as  America's  first  motion  picture  studio — built  by 
the  Edison  Company  in  1905  in  New  York  City — has  been 
supplanted  by  a  magnificent  group  of  buildings  scattered 
throughout  the  United  States,  and  to  which  any  industry 
might  point  with  pride. 

Nor  has  the  mechanism  of  these  wonderful  present-day 
motion  picture  studios  been  overlooked.  The  splendid  walls 
of  modern  studios  give  shelter  to  every  known  device 
that  tends  to  advance  the  art  of  motion  picture  manufac- 
ture. Because  in  the  making  of  the  motion  picture  many 
illusion-creating  devices  and  trade  secrets  are  brought  into 
play,  it  has  been  deemed  wise  to  exclude  the  public  from 
admission  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  studio  proper. 
To  acquaint  the  general  public  with  the  unreal,  when  that 
very  unrealness  purports  to  be  real,  would  rob  the  motion 
picture  of  its  entertainment  value  much  as  would  magician 
and  sleight-of-hand  expert  be  robbed  of  the  charm  of  his 
performances  if  his  audiences  knew  the  secrets  of  his  tricks. 
It  is  the  mystery  that  makes  his  tricks  appeal.  So  it  is  with 
the  motion  pictures.  Were  the  public  to  know  all  the  tricks 
that  are  resorted  to  in  the  filming  of  motion  pictures,  much 
of  the  entertainment  value  would  be  lost  to  them,  and  in 
consequence  the  industry  would  suffer  greatly. 


24  Opportunities  in  the 

Naturally,  the  motion  picture  public — and  that  means 
the  general  public — is  interested  in  the  studios.  Little  has 
been  written  about  them  that  would  convey  to  the  mind  of 
the  layman  what  these  studios  are  like.  To  acquaint  the 
public  with  this  knowledge  cannot  in  any  way  impair  its 
interest  in  the  motion  picture.  Therefore,  in  answer  to  the 
many  hundreds  of  questions  as  to  what  the  studios  are  like, 
I  will  eandeavor  to  take  you  through  the  great  California 
studios.  All  aboard  for  the  Studio  Limited.  We're  off ! 

A  trip  through  motion  picture  studios!  Ah!  that 
gives  you  visions  of  a  happy  day  spent  in  the  very  place 
where  your  favorites  make  their  screen  offerings.  You 
would  like  to  browse  about  and  delve  into  the  innermost 
secrets  of  the  studio?  'Tis  easier  said  than  done. 

To  enter  the  sacred  portals  is  a  matter  of  more  or  less 
difficulty,  for  the  motion  picture  studios  are  not  open  to  the 
general  public.  It  requires  influence — and  much  of  it — to 
gain  entrance  into  the  land  of  the  shadow  film.  But  once 
inside  you  are  amazed  at  the  magnitude  of  the  place ;  that  is, 
of  course,  if  you  have  succeeded  in  working  your  way  into 
one  of  the  larger  studios.  Wonder  of  wonders  are  these 
magnificent  plants  where  screen  favorites  enact  their  drama 
before  the  camera,  that  millions  may  be  entertained.  And, 
as  is  fitting  for  so  great  an  industry,  the  studios  that  house 
the  producing  units  are  on  a  par  with  the  seat  of  manufac- 
ture of  any  nationally  used  product. 

These  studios  are  the  last  word  in  luxury,  and  they  are 
wonderfully  equipped  to  turn  out  the  very  finest  product. 
Recently  I  heard  one  uninformed  as  to  the  real  magnitude 
of  this  great  industry,  ask  why  the  producing  companies 
had  spent  so  much  money  in  fitting  out  the  studios. 

Who  inhabits  these  studios?  The  stars  of  the  screen 
and  their  supporting  companies — the  directors  and  their 
staffs — the  cameramen  and  their  assistants — the  scenario 
writers — and  all  the  myriad  staffs  that  are  necessary  to 
conduct  an  up-to-date  motion  picture  studio. 

Who  are  the  aristocrats  of  today?  Do  you  dash  madly 
after  a  passing  automobile  because  it  may  contain  the  per- 
son of  some  King  or  Queen?  Would  the  fact  that  Mrs. 
Van  Camp  Stuyvesant- Whitney  happened  to  be  passing  in 
her  new  Fierce-Arrow  cause  you  so  much  as  to  walk  half 


Motion  Picture  Industry  25 

a  block  to  see  this  aristocratic  queen  of  the  society  world 

drive  by?  I  do  not  think  that  you  would.     I  know  that  I 

wouldn't.  Who,  then,  are  the  aristocrats  of  our  modern 
day? 

What  would  you  do  if  Norma  Talmadge  were  driving 
by  a  certain  spot  and  you  happened  to  be  near  by?  What 
would  you  do  if  you  came  face  to  face  with  Tommy 
Meighan?  Wouldn't  you  join  the  crowd  following  Tommy? 
Sure  you  would !  'Fess  up  now  and  don't  be  ashamed  to 
say  so.  I  would !  And  I'd  make  my  way  to  that  spot  where 
Norma  Talmadge  was  passing,  too.  And  so  would  you! 
Why  ?  Because — there  you  have  your  new  aristocracy ! 

We  were  all  glad  to  see  the  King  and  Queeri  of  the 
Belgians — and  we  approved  of  the  Mayor  giving  them  the 
keys  to  the  city,  or  whatever  it  is  they  give  to  a  King  and 
Queen  when  they  happen  to  drop  in  for  a  little  visit  with* 
us,  but  whom  do  we  follow  around  the  streets  in  crowds? 
Whose  personal  affairs  do  we  like  to  discuss?  Our  movie 
favorites,  of  course! 

France  gave  General  Pershing  a  rousing  reception.  So 
did  London,  but  did- you  ever  hear  of  cities  going  as  mad*  as 
did  London  and  Paris  when  a  certain  very  athletic  young 
motion  picture  King  visited  those  same  cities,  accompanied 
by  his  Queen  ? 

Such  enthusiasm!  Even  for  Mary — I  do  not  have  to 
explain,  do  I,  that  I  don't  mean  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots! 
Everyone  knows  that  Mary  Pickford  is  the  only  Mary  of 
importance,  these  days. 

And  so  it  goes!  We  pass  over  lightly  the  fact  that 
some  Queen  has  asked  her  court  ladies  to  knit  for  the  poor. 
But  we  read  with  enthusiasm  that  Hope  Hampton  or  Mae 
Murray  has  paid  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  a  new  set 
of  sables.  In  truth,  it  is  the  Kings  and  Queens  of  the  silent 
drama  now  claim  our  attention. 

I  have  visited  the  homes  of  many  film  stars.  Would 
that  I  could  take  you,  in  fancy,  for  one  fleeting  moment  to 
the  wonderful  duplex  apartment  home  of  Queen  Mae,  of 
the  Murray s — or  the  wonderful  Riverside  Drive  Palace  of 
Oueen  Hope  of  the  Hamptons — or  the  wonderful  country 
home  of  Queen  Lillian  of  the  Gishs — or  the  huge  California 


26  Opportunities  in  the 

ranch  of  King  Bert  of  the  Lytells — or  the  magnificent  Cali- 
fornia dream  palace  of  King  Douglas  and  Queen  Mary! 
No  representative  of  society's  aristocracy  ever  lived  more 
superbly.  No  ancient  King  or  Queen  ever  had  more  mag- 
nificent castles  or  loyal  subjects. 

And  the  producers,  wise  men  that  they  are,  know  that 
the  only  way  these  Kings  and  Queens  will  give  of  their 
best — thus  making  the  product  they  are  marketing  more 
valuable — is  to  complete  the  cycle  of  opulence  by.  carrying 
the  luxury  of  the  stars'  settings  into  the  studios  where 
they  work. 

Let's  go  through  the  splendid  Hollywood  studios  of  the 
Famous  Players-Lasky  Corporation.  Close  your  eyes  a  mo- 
ment. Now  visualize  a  broad  well-paved  avenue.  Either 
side  is  flanked  with  huge  palms,  while  the  avenue  itself  pre- 
sents an  ever-present  stream  of  passing  automobiles.  Down 
at  the  end  of  the  street,  directly  south  of  the  famous  Holly- 
wood Boulevard,  stands  a  long  row  of  sightly  buildings. 
These  are  the  group  that  form  the  West  Coast  Studios  of 
the  Famous  Players-Lasky  Corporation. 

S-sh !  Don't  make  a  sound  now,  and  I'll  try  to  get  you 
by  the  watchful  office  boy,  ever  on'  the  alert  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  the  movie-curious.  Once  inside,  I'll  introduce 
you  to  the  wonders  of  one  of  the  world's  greatest  motion 
picture  studios. 

Great!  We  got  by!  He  did  not  see  you.  Bang!  goes 
the  big  door,  and  we  are  inside  the  studio.  You  and  I,  in 
fancy  at  any  rate.  Let's  enter  the  main  studio  building! 
Everywhere  there  seems  to  be  hustle  and  bustle.  But  it  is 
not  that.  Bear  in  mind  that  in  this,  as  in  many  other  studios 
not  occupied  by  a  single  producing  unit,  each  little  section 
of  the  studio  has  its  own  stage  space,  and  as  is  the  case  in 
the  Lasky  studio,  each  of  these  stages  is  being  occupied  by 
a  star  who  is  in  the. midst  of  production.  The  men  and 
women  you  see  crossing  each  other's  paths  in  what  appears 
to  be  a  constant  stream  of  aimlessly  moving  humanity,  are 
in  reality  all  making  their  way  to  the  "set"  occupied  by  their 
particular  unit.  All  sets  are  busy.  Here  we  have  Cecil  B. 
De  Mille,  directing  a  scene  for  Gloria  Swanson. 

Over  on  another  set,  you  hear  some  powerful-lunged 
director  cry  "Action!"  That  means  players'  attention — 


Motion  Picture  Industry  27 

"Camera !"  comes  then  in  strong  tones ;  that  means  camera- 
man attention.  After  a  few  moments,  "Cut!"  and  that 
means  the  scene  has  been  finished.  But  it  will  be  made  over 
again.  Time  after  time,  the  players  must  go  through  their 
paces.  Directors  think  nothing  of  making  a  scene  as  many 
as  a  dozen  times,  if  they  feel  that  it  can  be  made  better 
each  succeeding  time.  Sometimes  they  fool  the  players.  The 
cameraman  is  instructed  to  have  the  film  magazine  of  the 
camera  entirely  empty.  He  grinds  in  all  seriousness  and  the 
players,  thinking  that  the  scene  is  really  being  films,  put 
forth  their  best  efforts.  In  this  way,  the  director  can  see 
and  correct  the  faults  of  the  players.  Then,  when  he  is 
satisfied  that  they  are  letter  perfect  in  their  work,  the  scene 
is  really  "shot." 

Oh !  look !  isn't  that  a  strange  sight  over  there  ?  There 
are  twenty  houses  and  each  one  is  entirely  different  from 
the  other.  There's  a  beautiful  chateau — and  look  at  that 
Spanish  home!  And  that  one  looks  as  if  they  had  picked 
it  up  in  Switzerland,  and  set  it  down  here.  There  a  won- 
derful mansion — and  here  a  pretty  little  church.  Come  on 
over  this  way,  and  look  at  that  small-town  street.  Can't  you 
just  imagine  you  are  walking  down  "Main  Street?"  Look 
at  that  grocery  store ;  and  that  dance  hall  front  so  reminis- 
cent of  these  old  western  days.  It's  a  wonderful  place, 
you'll  agree. 

And  look  at  the  huge  studio  buildings.  That's  where 
the  interiors  are  made.  All  the  way  down  Selma  Avenue 
to  Argyle  Street;  down  Vine  Street  to  Sunset  Boulevard. 
It's  a  wonderful  plant !  Here,  you  see,  is  an  open  air  stage. 
A  sunlight  stage!  The  rays  of  the  sun  do  the  work  of  the 
huge  Cooper-Hewitts,  Kleigs  and  Sunlight  Arcs.  Of  course, 
they  use  them  also,  but  not  nearly  so  much  where  the  open 
air  stage  is  used  for  making  interiors. 

Over  there  is  the  wardrobe  building.  Imagine !  There 
is  closet  room  for  more  than  ten  thousand  gowns.  At  each 
end  are  two  fitting  rooms  where  the  elaborate  wardrobes 
required  by  the  stars  and  leading  women  may  be  designed 
and  fitted. 

There  come  Elliott  Dexter  and  Monte  Blue.  Let's  walk 
out  here  on  the  "lot."  Look  at  that  line-up  of  extras.  They 
are  waiting  to  have  lunch.  The  studio  serves  them  gratis. 


28  Opportunities  in  the 

Let's  go  through  the  buildings.  You're  not  getting 
tired,  are  you?  All  right  then,  come  on.  The  Administra- 
tion group  constitutes  a  long  row  of  one-story  buildings 
along  Vine  Street,  all  connected  by  long  hallways.  You  see, 
this  is  where  they  engage  the  extras.  Many  a  star  has 
passed  the  day  there  awaiting  a  chance  to  appear  before  the 
camera.  And  here — sh! — quiet  now — the  cathedral-like 
study  and  workshop  of  Director-General  Cecil  B.  De  Mille. 
And  here  is  a  real  treat  for  you.  This  is  the  dressing  room 
that  Mary  Pickford  used  to  call  her  own.  Note  the  quaint 
Japanese  fittings.  She  used  to  use  this  as  a  combination 
dressing  and  sitting  room.  Royalty  and  nobility  of  all 
classes  have  visited  her  here,  when  alien  potentates  have 
called  at  the  studio  during  an  itinerary  of  the  west. 

It's  all  very  wonderful,  don't  you  think?  Let's  go  out 
in  the  open  again  for  a  moment.  There  is  the  largest  open 
air  stage  for  the  filming  of  motion  pictures  in  the  world. 
Observe  the  tank  for  water  scenes !  Look  at  that  wonderful 
tropical  garden !  Let's  cross  Argyle  Street  and  enter  the  lot 
which  covers  a  huge  square  block  and  is  used  to  film  big 
exterior  scenes. 

Look  at  these  buildings.  Don't  they  look  real?  Let's 
go  closer.  Here,  indeed,  "things  are  not  what  they  seem." 
Once  you  are  near  you  can  see  that  the  buildings  which  look 
so  real,  are,  in  truth,  empty  shells;  that  cannon  standing 
there,  so  sinister  looking,  is  made  of  cardboard  or  wood; 
the  lampposts  are  devoid  of  lights,  the  sidewalks  are  sub- 
stantial enough  for  their  purpose,  but  really  would  not  last 
long  if  used  by  the  general  public;  that  subway  entrance 
really  leads  nowhere.  There's  a  horse  car  which  does 
nothing  but  gather  cobwebs.  That  brightly-painted  circus 
wagon  you  see  standing  there  has  traveled  its  last  road. 

Growl,  growl,  growl ;  what's  that  ?  It  reminds  one  of 
the  jungle.  Do  they  even  have  animals  here?  You  bet  they 
do !  Look  over  there.  See  those  cages  in  that  far  corner  ? 
Look  at  the  Puma,  the  Leopard,  the  Coyote.  See  how 
puzzled  they  appear.  This  mimic  world  seems  to  be  beyond 
their  understanding.  I  presume  they  are  trying  to  figure  out 
why  it  is  so  well  populated  one  day,  and  so  deserted  the  next. 

I  think  it  is  time  to  start  for  the  Goldwyn  Studio. 
Come,  it's  pretty  close  to  lunch  time. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  29 

What's  that  you  said?  "Wait  a  minute.  Here  comes 
Bebe  Daniels."  I'm  sorry  we  can't  wait ! 

Here  we  are  at  Goldwyn's  "movie  lot!"  they  call  the 
studio  "the  lot"  for  some  unfathomable  reason  or  ether. 
Guess  the  man  who  had  something  to  do  with  the  publicity 
that  went  out  about  the  first  studio,  must  have  had  a  previ- 
ous connection  with  a  circus.  Wherever  a  circus  plays, 
that  place  is  known  as  "a  lot." 

The  Goldwyn  plant  is  certainly  one  of  the  finest  studios, 
if  not  the  most  beautiful  in  appearance,  in  all  California. 
The  buildings  are  spotlessly  white,  and  the  lawns  and  flower 
beds  which  are  to  be  found  throughout  the  wonderful  insti- 
tution are  faultlessly  kept. 

Of  interest  to  you,  I  dare  say,  will  be  the  Cafeteria.  Oh, 
yes,  of  course  the  players  eat.  The  old  saying  about  actors 
not  eating  never  was  meant  to  be  applied  to  the  motion  pic- 
ture actor.  From  my  observation,  they  all  eat,  and  mighty 
well,  too.  Since  we  are  right  here  at  the  Cafeteria  door, 
we  may  as  well  go  in.  No  doubt  you're  hungry,  and  you'll 
be  interested  in  seeing  the  place. 

The  service  is  provided  by  one  of  the  city's  best  cater- 
ers. Note  the  simplicity  of  it  all.  Delft  tile  has  been  used 
throughout  and  the  menu  gives  an  ample  choice.  Let's  sit 
down  over  here  in  a  corner,  then  we  can  see  all  who  come 
in.  There  comes  Helene  Chadwick!  Over  there  in  that 
rough  suit  of  clothes  is  no  less  a  personage  than  Tom 
Moore;  that  good  looking,  dark  haired  fellow  sitting  next 
him,  is  Richard  Dix. 

Tell  the  waitress  what  you  want!  There!  I'm  glad 
that's  done!  Here  come  a  bunch  of  Mexicans!  See  that 
Indian  'way  over  there  ?  Look  at  that !  There's  a  minister ! 
And  Johnny  Jones,  that  little  fellow — you  remember  him, 
don't  you  ?  and  oh !  look,  here  comes  Mary  Alden !  Doesn't 
she  look  wonderful?  It's  a  great  place,  this  restaurant. 
One  can  sit  hour  after  hour  and  see  many  favorites. 

Now,  we'll  drive  down  the  Culver  City  road  for  a  few 
moments  and  visit  with  Thomas  H.  Ince!  Here's  a  man 
that  really  knows  motion  pictures  from  the  bottom  up.  He 
has  built  some  wonderful  studios,  but  his  newest  plant  is 
certainly  the  most  beautiful.  What  a  blinding  sun!  No 
wonder  they  can  make  pictures  in  California.  And  how  it 
bathes  the  Ince  Administration  Building  in  its  golden  light. 


30  Opportunities  in  the 

When  first  you  approach  Ince  Studios,  you  are  startled 
for.  a  moment.  The  place  and  grounds  remind  you  of  some 
wonderful  old  Southern  mansion.  Indeed,  the  building  is 
an  exact  replica  of  the  Washington  mansion  at  Mount  Ver- 
non.  Isn't  it  magnificent?  Here  we  come  up  a  spacious 
driveway  to  the  very  steps  of  the  threshold  of  this  wonder- 
ful edifice.  Little  would  the  passer-by  realize  that  back  of 
that  Colonial  door  is  located  a  splendidly  and  perfectly 
equipped  studio.  An  old  colored  attendant  greets  us  as  we 
arrive,  and  his  welcome  brings  realistic  memories  of  "Old 
Virginny." 

It's  wonderful,  Mr.  Ince,  this  hospitable  greeting.  And 
now  we  enter  the  studio  proper.  Once  inside  the  lobby  of 
the  building,  we  pass  through  a  little  doorway,  and  all  the 
thoughts  of  "Old  Virginny"  are  banished  from  our  minds. 
Right  before  our  very  eyes,  a  huge  glass  studio  looms  up. 
See  how  the  sun  is  beaming  upon  its  roof,  seeming  to  send 
millions  of  little  sun  rays  scattering  through  the  air  in 
every  direction. 

Just  a  bit  to  the  left,  there,  see  that  concrete  tank.  It 
is  being  filled  with  water.  No.  it's  not  a  swimming  pool. 
In  it  they  make  all  the  miniature  scenes.  Many  a  ship  has 
been  sunk  in  that  tank.  A  miniature  ship,  I  mean.  But 
there!  I  did  not  mean  to  tell  you  about  that  end  of  the 
business  at  all. 

Over  there  are  the  laboratories.  They  are  as  fine  as 
any  studio  possesses.  See  that  group  sprawled  over  the 
lawn,  there.  Can't  you  recognize  them?  The  man  in  the 
center  is  Mr.  Ince  himself,  and  next  him  is  "Doug" — not 
Fairbanks!  The  other  "Doug" — Douglas  MacLean,  the 
happy  star,  who  does  those  delightful  juvenile  types  on  the 
screen.  There's  C.  Gardner  Sullivan,  dean  of  all  the  sce- 
nario writers.  It's  a  wonderful  place,  this  Ince  studio,  but 
come,  we  must  move  on !  It's  a  long,  long  ride  from  Mr. 
Ince's  show  place  of  the  film  world,  to  Universal  City. 

"Oh  yes,  let's  go  there  by  all  means,"  you  say.  Well, 
we're  on  our  way.  If  you  have  imagined  that  the  Cali- 
fornia studios  are  all  situated  in  that  section  of  Los  Angeles 
known  as  Hollywood,  let  me  correct  that  impression.  The 
studios  are  miles  and  miles  a"part,  except  in  a  few  instances, 
of  course.  Little  colonies  of  them  seem  to  have  sprung  up 


Motion  Picture  Industry  31 

in  certain  sections  of  the  city,  but  don't  you  ever  imagine 
that  you  can  walk  from  one  of  them  to  the  other;  that  is 
unless  you  have  a  plentiful  supply  of  shoes  and  lots  of  time. 

The  first  producer  to  go  to  California  in  search  of  a 
movie  haven  was  immediately  struck  with  the  ideal  climatic 
conditions  existing  in  and  about  the  Southern  California 
metropolis.  He  experimented  and  found  that  conditions 
were  perfectly  adapted  to  motion  picture  making,  and  soon 
the  good  news  spread  from  one  to  another.  One  of  the  first 
to  hearken  to  the  message  of  the  pioneer  was  Carl  Laemmle. 

Leaving  his  Eastern  office,  he  journeyed  to  the  coast 
and  selected  the  present  site  of  Universal  City  as  the  future 
home  of  the  world-famed  Universal  pictures. 

Now  we  are  at  the  gates  of  Universal  City.  Just  across 
from  the  Pacific  Electric  tracks,  where  the  trolley-riding 
visitor  alights,  is  the  main  entrance  to  the  gigantic  motion 
picture  plant  which  has  often  been  termed  the  Film  Capitol 
of  the  world.  Located  in  the  beautiful  San  Fernando  Val- 
ley the  director  has  at  his  command,  within  an  hour's  ride 
from  the  studio,  the  entire  range  of  climatic  conditions  from 
the  tropical  to  the  arctic.  Mount  Lowe,  one  of  California's 
lofty  peaks,  is  accessible  to  Universal  City  and  all  other 
Los  Angeles  studios  by  trolley  car  or  automobile.  When 
Mr.  Laemmle  built  Universal  City,  it  was  his  intention  to 
build  it  so  that  his  directors  could  remain  on  the  "lot"  at  all 
times.  Every  conceivable  type  of  building  has  been  erected 
on  the  grounds,  some  serving  only  as  "sets"  while  others 
are  put  to  practical  use,  their  interiors  being  equipped  for 
office  workers  while  their  exteriors  are  fashioned  after 
various  types  of  old  time  architecture. 

Let's  enter.  We  park  our  car  with  about  one  hundred 
others,  and  once  passed  by  Mr.  Brown,  the  able  guardian 
of  the  entrance,  we  make  our  way  down  a  short  hall,  on 
either  side  of  which  are  located  various  offices.  See  that 
little  wooden  door  labeled  "Library"?  Back  of  it  you  would 
find  Leroy  Armstrong,  probably  the  dean  of  studio  research 
men.  We  won't  enter,  because  Mr.  Armstrong  seems  to  be 
busy  with  one  of  his  thousands  of  volumes ! 

Here  we  are  at  the  end  of  the  hall  and  out  in  the  open 
again.  A  broad  avenue  of  palms  greets  us  and  down  at 
the  head  of  the  avenue  we  see  the  upper  decks  and  smoke 


32  Opportunities  in  the 

stacks  of  a  giant  ocean  liner.  Smoke  is  belching  forth  from 
the  smokestacks.  You  marvel,  don't  you,  that  so  perfect  a 
reproduction  could  have  been  made  ?  The  pier  at  which  the 
steamship  is  supposed  to  be  docked,  hides  the  lower  portion 
of  the  ship,  but  it  certainly  is  realistic.  Don't  you  think  so  ? 
Rugged  hills  surrounding  the  studio  grounds  give  to  the 
scene  a  weird  sort  of  phantom  appearance,  as  if  it  were  not 
real,  but  some  strange  dream  place.  That  it  is  all  there,  you 
presently  discover  as  we  saunter  down  the  street  toward 
the  dock  scene. 

What  wonderful  outdoor  stages !  How  large  they  are ! 
They  are  built  entirely  of  reinforced  concrete  and  steel 
framework.  And  there  at  the  rear  of  the  stages  are  the 
dressing  rooms,  director's  offices  and  the  shower  baths. 

The  place  is  barely  six  years  old,  and  yet  it  has  a  bank, 
and  a  special  interurban  railway  ticket  office.  It  is  indeed 
wonderfully  located.  Throughout  all  the  days  of  the  year, 
the  sun-splashed  amphitheatre,  there  in  the  shadows  of  the 
southern  California  mountains,  assumes  the  geographical 
characteristics  of  the  farthest  corners  of  the  earth. 

Oh!  See  here!  What  an  amazing  scene!  There's  a 
wonderful  replica  of  Monte  Carlo.  Against  the  blue  of  the 
sky  are  lifted  the  sparkling  alabaster  towers  of  the  Casino, 
the  Cafe  de  Paris,  and  the  famous  hotel  of  that  continental 
resort !  How  strange  the  splendor  of  the  Monte  Carlo  set- 
ting is,  contrasted  with  the  winding  little  street  that  drifts 
off  into  the  foothills  encircling  the  studio. 

Marvelous  place,  this  Universal  City!  It  even  has  its 
own  nursery  to  supply  flowers  for  stage  scenes;  its  own 
Zoological  Gardens ;  one  of  the  finest  wardrobe  departments 
in  the  film  world ;  a  spacious  ranch ;  all  within  the  confines 
of  the  studio  grounds.  Streets  of  Monte  Carlo,  Cairo, 
Paris,  Tokio,  Madrid — streets  of  New  York  and  'Frisco, 
streets  of  New  England  and  Arizona,  of  Turkey  and  Mexico 
all  are  represented  here. 

Suppose  we  go  down  to  the  Zoo  for  a  moment.  We 
pass  through  a  "set"  where  a  director  is  putting  Harry 
Carey  through  his  paces  for  a  western  production.  Here 
we  are  and  just  look  who  greets  us !  Joe  Martin,  himself, 
Universal's  educated  orang-outang.  He  wants  to  shake 


Motion  Picture  Industry  33 

hand  with  you.  Don't  be  afraid.  Joe  has  an  almost  hu- 
man brain.  He  knows,  you  will  notice,  just  what  to  do  with 
his  hands. 

They  have  a  hospital  here,  too.  There  it  is,  that  spot- 
lessly white  little  building,  with  the  Red  Cross  on  its  door. 

Metro,  too,  has  fine  studios  in  Hollywood — and  Chris- 
tie's where  the  comedies  of  the  present  day  are  made.  Vita- 
graph,  and  Robertson-Cole,  and  a  host  of  others  have  con- 
tributed a  great  deal  towards  building  the  motion  picture 
colony  of  California.  Then  there  are  many  wonderful  inde- 
pendent studios:  The  Brunton  studios,  where  Mary  Pick- 
ford  and  Little  Jackie  Coogan  make  their  pictures.  Charlie 
Chaplin's  studio,  too,  is  a  beautiful  place. 

But  what  of  the  studios  of  the  East?  Will  we  visit 
just  one,  so  that  you  may  know  more  about  the  interior  of  a 
"city"  studio  ?  Let's  take  a  flying  trip  across  the  continent 
to  Long  Island  City,  New  York,  where  the  Famous  Players- 
Lasky  Corporation  has  established  a  wonderful  new  plant. 
It  is  just  across  the  East  River  from  New  York  City.  A 
great  bridge  spans  the  river  at  this  point,  and  that  makes 
tke  studio  but  a  few  moments  from  East  59th  Street,  New 
York.  Of  course  the  underground  system  could  whiz  you 
there  in  fifteen  minutes  from  the  very  heart  of  New  York, 
if  you  cared  to  travel  that  way. 

For  your  information,  let  me  tell  you  that  the  Famous 
Players-Lasky  Corporation,  one  of  the  larger  producing 
companies,  spent  over  two  million  dollars  in  building  their 
magnificent  Long  Island  City  plant.  Think  of  it !  Here  is 
but  one  of  the  many  great  motion  picture  studios — and  it 
cost  over  iwo  million  dollars  to  build. 

Visualize  a  splendid  building,  having  the  appearance  of 
the  Pantheon  of  Greece.  A  wonderful  temple  of  marble  and 
granite,  with  beautiful  stone  columns  reaching  almost  from 
ground  to  roof !  Immediately  we  get  inside,  you  are  blinded 
with  the  glare  of  light.  It  seems  to  be  coming  from  every- 
where. The  whole  building  seems  to  be  flooded  by  it.  From 
high  up  among  the  steel  girders,  from  the  walls  at  either 
side  of  you,  from  everywhere  comes  light,  light  and  more 
light. 

Over  there  in  that  corner  a  director  is  sitting,  reading 
the  script  of  some  new  play  to  the  players,  who  are  sur- 


34  Opportunities  in  the 

rounding  him.     This   is  always  done  before  the  play  is 
started,  so  that  the  players  know  what  it  is  all  about. 

Over  there  in  the  corner  a  large  space  has  been  screened 
off.  When  a  director  is  working  upon  a  particularly  dra- 
matic scene,  and  does  not  want  to  be  disturbed,  stage  hands 
surround  the  space  with  large  canvas  "flats."  Woe  unto 
him  who  dares  go  beyond  those  sacred  boundaries.  But  if 
you  are  very  quiet,  maybe  we  can  get  close  to  one  of  them 
and  peep  in !  Let's  try,  anyhow ;  but  look  out  or  you  will 
trip  over  one  of  the  many  props  that  are  lying  about  ready 
to  be  assembled  into  a  scene. 

Remember  when  we  were  kids  how  we  would  sneak 
up  to  a  knot  hole  and  watch  our  favorite  knock  the  ball 
over  the  fence  for  a  homer  ?  Well,  that's  what  we  are  going 
to  do  now,  only  this  time,  with  added  years,  we  are  going 
to  watch  a  different  kind  of  a  favorite.  Step  up  to  that  hole 
in  the  canvas  and  fasten  your  eyes  upon  it. 

See  that  little  blonde  girl?  That's  Mae  Murray.  See 
that  big  fellow  with  the  megaphone?  That's  Robert  Z. 
Leonard,  the  director.  They  are  making  a  scene  for  "The 
Gilded  Lily."  There  comes  Jason  Robards  through  that 
"prop"  door  in  the  set.  Mae  is  sitting  on  an  overstuffed 
divan  and  the  scene  represents  the  drawing  room  of  her 
playworld  home.  See  how  the  lights  brighten  up  the  place. 
You  would  almost  think  that  you  were  out  in  the  sunlight. 

All  of  a  sudden  out  of  the  stillness  there  is  wafted  to 
your  ears  the  plaintive  notes  of  "The  Barcarolle,"  that  won- 
derful melody  from  "The  Tales  of  Hoffman."  A  cello  and 
violin  are  harmonizing.  Oh !  how  dreamy  it  makes  you  feel. 
You  turn  away  for  a  moment,  and  ask  where  that  music 
comes  from.  Are  they  using  it  in  one  of  the  other  scenes 
that  are  being  made  around  you?  No.  The  witchery  of 
that  music  is  for  Mae's  benefit.  Look  over  there  in  the 
background  of  the  set — there,  out  of  the  range  of  the 
camera.  Do  you  see  those  two  musicians  playing?  Well, 
they  are  playing  for  the  benefit  of  Mae  and  Jason.  It's  only 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  you  know.  And  here  is  Bob 
Leonard,  asking  Mae  to  imagine  it  is  midnight,  and  that  she 
has  been  waiting  for  Mr.  Robards,  who,  in  the  play,  is  her 
sweetheart. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  35 

Can  you  imagine  yourself  pretending  it  is  midnight, 
when  you  have  just  arrived  at  the  studio  after  a  hearty 
breakfast  ?  But  with  the  magic  of  music — the  greatest  emo- 
tional power  the  world  has  ever  known — they  accomplish 
this  feat  of  imagination  in  the  studios.  Musicians  are  placed 
in  a  secluded  spot.  The  stage  is  set.  The  director  speaks 
quietly  to  the  star,  tells  her  it  is  midnight,  and  that  she  has 
spent  many  hours  awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  tardy  lover. 
At  the  director's  signal  the  musicians  begin — and,  Lo  and 
behold !  Mae  forgetting  for  a  moment  that  she  is  an  actress, 
really  feels  that  she  has  been  sitting  there  on  that  divan  for 
hours,  waiting  for  her  sweetheart;  and  Jason,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  spending  a  wild  night  with  the  boys, 
believes  that  he  is  really  a  bit  intoxicated — prohibition  not- 
withstanding— and  staggers  in  to  the  "Lily."  There  is  a 
quarrel.  Their  emotions  rise  with  each  note  from  the  cello, 
finally  Mae  bursts  into  tears  and  Jason  becomes  repentant. 
The  scene  is  finished,  the  music  stops,  Mae  dries  her  eyes, 
Jason  realizes  he  is  sober — and  "Bob"  seats  himself  in  the 
ever  present  director's  chair,  which  in  this  instance  bears  the 
legend  in  bold  black  letters,  "Mr.  Leonard." 

Well,  that  was  interesting,  wasn't  it!  And  that's  why 
stars  have  to  have  their  own  little  orchestras. 

The  immense  stage  upon  which  we  have  just  walked 
about  can  accommodate  twenty  working  companies  at  one 
time.  Did  you  notice  the  size  of  the  stage?  How  tremen- 
dously long  it  was,  and  how  wide?  It  just  seemed  as  if 
blocks  and  blocks  of  space  were  needed  to  roof  it.  Did  you 
observe  the  beautiful  marble  staircases?  Did  you  notice 
how  brilliantly  the  corridors  were  lighted — and  the  beauty 
of  the  hangings  and  furniture?  Didn't  it  all  look  like  the 
interior  of  a  palace?  That's  just  what  it  is — the  Palace  of 
the  Silent  Drama ! 

See  those  stairs  to  your  left?  They  take  you  to  the 
stars'  dressing  rooms.  Shall  we  visit  with  one  of  them? 
Yes?  All  right,  let's  go.  Here  we  are — let's  see  whose 
name  is  on  that  door.  Ah,  Billie  Burke.  Will  we  enter? 
We  do — and  along  comes  Miss  Burke's  maid — and — "Would 
you  tell  Miss  Burke  that  some  out-of-town  visitors  would 
like  so  very  much  to  see  her  a  few  moments  ?"  Silently  the 
maid  departs  and  in  a  few  moments  we  hear  the  swish  of 


36  Opportunities  in  the 

silks,  the  portieres  are  drawn  apart,  and  Miss  Burke  herself 
welcomes  us.  Come,  let's  sit  down  a  moment  and  have  a 
chat  with  adorable  Billie. 

"I  hope  you  like  my  suite,"  she  says.  "Each  of  us 
had  the  privilege  of  furnishing  our  own  rooms  to  suit  our 
individual  tastes.  If  you  visit  with  some  of  the  others,  you 
will  note  that  their  rooms  are  entirely  different  from  mine. 
The  colors,  hangings  and  furnishings  are  of  many  varieties, 
reflecting  the  various  temperaments  of  the  people  who  in- 
habit the  suites.  Don't  you  think  they  are  nice  rooms  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed !"  we  answer,  and  for  a  moment  my  mind 
travels  back  to  the  dressing  room  Billie  had  on  the  old 
Inceville  lot  out  in  Los  Angeles.  Her  ten-by-ten  room  was 
considered  a  marvel,  as  dressing  rooms  went  in  those  days. 
The  little  chintz  draperies  looked  very  homey  and  cozy. 
Now,  as  I  gaze  about  and  notice  the  grandeur  of  it  all — 
Oh !  well,  I'd  better  stop  dreaming  and  continue  the  tour  of 
the  studio.  Tactfully,  Billie  tells  us  her  director  is  waiting 
for  her  and  we  take  leave,  having  spent  a  very  pleasant  half 
hour  in  her  charming  company. 

Shall  we  go  and  see  the  garage?  We  make  our  way 
along  the  galleries  and  come  to  a  splendid  stairway.  Down 
we  go,  stopping  a  moment  to  gaze  at  the  vast  panorama 
before  us.  Ten  different  companies  are  working.  Ten  dif- 
ferent crews  of  carpenters  and  electricians  are  preparing  sets 
for  use.  See,  over  there,  they  are  building  a  wonderful 
Spanish  hacienda ;  and  there,  look  at  that !  a  swimming  pool 
in  being  put  right  on  the  studio  floor.  And  in  that  corner, 
a  portion  of  Central  Park  wall  seems  to  have  been  trans- 
planted. Surely  some  exterior  action  will  be  filmed  there. 
They  have  to  do  it  in  the  studio  though,  because  the  curious 
mob  on  the  street  makes  it  impossible  for  them  to  work 
there.  How  faithfully  they  represent  the  scene.  It's  won- 
derful, isn't  it?  See  that  landscape  gardener  placing  the 
grass  by  the  park  wall ?  Perfect — what? 

And  here  we  are  at  the  garage !  Look  at  that  wonder- 
fully handsome  limousine,  and  at  that  Rolls-Royce — isn't  it  a 
beauty?  They  are  all  beauties  and  the  garage  is  full  of 
them.  And  right  next  door  are  the  kennels.  Even  the  dogs 
are  temperamental  and  they  insist  on  accompanying  their 
masters  and  mistresses  to  the  studio.  Indeed,  quite  often 


Motion  Picture  Industry  37 

they  are  used  in  the  filming  of  certain  scenes.  There's  Mae 
Murray's  Russian  wolf  hound.  "Hello,  Reno."  See  he  is 
licking  my  hand,  he  knows  me.  He  must  remember  me 
from  my  visit  to  the  Leonard's  home.  Oh,  yes,  did  I  forget 
to  tell  you,  Mae  and  Bob  are  married.  There's  Dorothy 
Dalton's  Chow ;  and  that's  Agnes  Ayres'  Pomeranian. 

It's  all  very  wonderful,  don't  you  think?  Over  there 
is  the  beauty  parlor.  You  know  milady's  hair  may  have  be- 
come ruffled  during  the  drive  to  the  studio,  or  one  may  need 
a  special  coiffure  for  a  certain  scene.  Expert  attendants 
are  ever  ready  to  answer  the  call  of  the  star. 

Let's  go  up  and  watch  them  make  some  "still"  photo- 
graphs. Think  of  it,  they  can  turn  out  ten  thousand  still 
photos  a  day.  Every  innovation  that  has  been  perfected 
has  been  installed  and  it  is  probably  the  best  portrait  gallery 
in  the  East. 

See  that  barred  door  over  there  ?  Back  of  it  are  stored 
all  the  valuable  silver  for  dressing  table  and  dining  room 
service  that  is  needed  to  make  the  modern  photoplay  real- 
istic. Expensive  vases,  china  and  cut  glass,  as  well  as  tapes- 
tries and  jewelry,  are  stored  there. 

Gose  by  are  the  cutting  room  and  the  title  department ! 
Here  comes  one  of  the  studio  police  officers — it's  time  to 
leave — come,  we  must  go! 

And  so,  you've  had  your  day  in  the  motion  picture 
studios!  If  you  have  a  vivid  imagination  and  keen  visualiz- 
ation powers,  you  will  be  able  to  imagine  at  least  what  they 
really  do  look  like  on  the  inside. 

If  you've  had  as  good  a  time  as  I  have  on  this  trip 
through  the  studios  I  am  happy.  It  has  been  a  pleasure  to 
give  you  just  a  glance  into  the  land  of  make-believe !  Some- 
time again  we'll  do  it  over — maybe  I  shall  meet  you  there 
some  day.  Who  can  tell  ?  It's  really  up  to  you ! 


CAN  I  APPEAR  ON  THE  SCREEN  ? 

By  BERT  LYTELL 

Popular  Screen   Star  who   suggests  that  you  measure 
yourself    by    the    following    standards. 

THOUSANDS  of  movie  "fans"  imagine  that  there 
is  a  pot  of  gold  at  the  foot  of  the  cinema  rainbow. 
For  some,  there  is.     But  breaking  into  the  movies 
is  not  quite  as  easy  as  one  would  imagine.     If  you 
are  willing  to  begin  at  the  bottom  and  work  your  way  up, 
you  have  a  chance;  that  is,  if  you  are  really  suited  to  the 
work. 

And  what  are  the  qualifications? 

Screen  success  is  more  than  skin  deep.  Where  once 
the  extremely  beautiful  girl  or  the  classically  handsome 
man  was  thought  to  be  perfectly  qualified  to  become  a  great 
motion  picture  actor,  today  we  are  making  greater  demands 
of  potential  stars. 

People  write  to  me  and  ask  what  types  are  best  suited 
to  motion  picture  work.  Here  is  a  brief  outline  of  the 
standards  used  in  selecting  film  workers.  When  I  say  that 
one  type  is  preferable  to  another,  do  not  think  I  am  preju- 
diced. I  do  not  mean  to  discriminate.  I  do  not  think  any 
one  type  of  beauty  is  really  superior  to  another.  I  am  writ- 
ing only  of  film  types. 

The  ideal  woman  of  the  motion  pictures  has  these 
physical  qualifications: 

Features. — They  need  not  be  classic  but  they  must  be 
regular.  The  retrousse  nose,  if  not  too  broad,  gives  a  piquant 
expression  to  the  face.  The  mouth  can  be  made  up  and  its 
size  is  not  of  great  importance. 

Complexion, — We  are  looking  for  blondes.  Most  men 
in  the  films  today  photograph  dark  and  the  contrast  provided 
by  the  blonde  woman  is  effective.  The  girl  with  light  golden 
hair  will  photograph  as  a  true  blonde.  Therefore,  blonde 
women  are  given  the  preference.  The  good  looking  bru- 
nette, of  course,  is  always  desirable. 

39 


40  Opportunities  in  the 

Stature. — The  small  girl  is  preferably  the  screen  type. 
Many  leading  men  are  not  tall  and  they  appear  to  disad- 
vantage unless  they  are  surrounded  with  small  women. 
The  dainty  Mary  Pickford-Marguerite  Clark  type  has 
always  been  very  popular,  perhaps  because  it  is  easier  for 
the  little  girl  to  win  sympathy.  These  actresses  are  excep- 
tions ;  they  are  less  than  five  feet,  but  the  slightly  taller  girl, 
between  five  feet  and  five-feet-fhree,  will  be  the  most  readily 
chosen  by  the  casting  directors. 

W eight. — Any  figure  is  acceptable  if  it's  slender.  I  do 
not  mean  that  a  "skinny"  figure  is  desirable,  but  just  that 
rounded  slenderness  that  typifies  youth.  Fat  is  the  worst 
enemy  of  film  actresses.  The  star  must  watch  her  diet  care- 
fully, for  the  first  double  chin  would  endanger  her  popu- 
larity. 

Age. — I  scarcely  need  to  mention  this.  The  careful  eye 
of  the  camera  detects  every  little  line,  every  wrinkle  and 
crow's  foot.  Girls  should  start  in  young  so  that  they  gain 
their  preliminary  experience  and  achieve  stardom  before 
they  begin  to  fade.  I  would  not  advise  any  woman  past 
twenty-six  to  start  unless  she  wants  to  develop  into  a  char- 
acter actress.  Although  this  is  not  usually  the  sympathetic 
or  stellar  role,  a  character  actress,  such  as  Mary  Alden, 
will  find  many  opportunities  for  success  and  worth-while 
remuneration. 

Such  are  the  physical  requirements  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture actress.  What  of  her  mental  qualifications? 

I  say,  most  emphatically,  that  brains  are  necessary  to  the 
film  star.  The  actress  does  not  have  to  be  brilliant,  but 
she  must  have  a  keen  intellect. 

Acting  is  one  of  the  great  arts.  An  actress  is  an  inter- 
preter of  human  emotions.  If  she  cannot  think  for  herself, 
if  she  is  simply  an  automaton  to  follow  the  director's  instruc- 
tions, if  she  must  have  another  to  do  her  thinking — she  is  no 
artist.  For  instance,  an  actress  is  given  a  role  to  play.  The 
script  reads  something  like  this : 

"Nora  prints  a  demure  kiss  on  her  father's  forehead, 
then  gives  him  a  quick  little  slap  on  the  cheek.  When  the 
old  man's  head  is  turned,  she  winks — ever  so  slightly — at 
Philip."  It  is  simple  enough  for  her  to  kiss  the  old  man's 


Motion  Picture  Industry  41 

forehead,  to  slap  his  cheek  and  wink  at  Philip.     But  by 
these  physical  mechanics  is  she  interpreting  Nora? 

The  intelligent  actress,  who  understands  something  of 
psychology,  whose  knowledge  of  human  nature  is  keen  and 
cultivated,  would  add  to  these  motions  the  quality  of  person- 
ality that  would  make  Nora  a  living,  breathing  woman. 

Can't  you  see  her  do  it? 

Mary  Pickford's  Nora  would  be  demure,  and  a  trifle 
saucy. 

Mabel  Normand  would  make  a  delightful  tomboy  of 
the  role. 

Constance  Talmadge's  kiss  and  slap  would  be  audacious, 
and  frightfully  flippant,  while  Norma's  would  seem  to  ex- 
press a  genuine  but  slightly  rebellious  love  for  her  father. 

Nazimova,  as  Nora,  would  be  noble,  suffering.  You 
would  feel  that  her  kiss  was  an  expression  of  bondage ;  her 
slap  a  gesture  of  disdain. 

Gloria  Swanson  would  give  a  touch  of  dignity  to  the 
role.  Her  Nora  would  be  beautifully  gowned  and  dutifully 
affectionate. 

They  are  all  finished  actresses.  They  give  the  expres- 
sion that  warms  to  life  the  dry  words  describing  an  incident. 
Less  brilliant  women  could  not  do  this.  They  could  go 
through  the  physical  actions,  but  the  little  touch  of  person- 
ality that  expresses  emotion  more  subtly  than  any  action  or 
movement,  would  be  lacking. 

That  is  why  I  say  brains  are  necessary.  Without  intel- 
lect it  is  impossible  to  have  a  keen  perception,  a  vivid 
imagination,  fine  sensibilities.  And  without  these,  you 
cannot  be  a  convincing  actress. 

Fascinating  as  the  film  actresses  are,  I  cannot  devote 
all  my  space  to  them.  No  indeed,  for  male  stars  are  very 
temperamental,  and  if  we  were  to  neglect  them  I  am  sure 
I  would  have  lots  of  trouble. 

How  can  I  become  a  movie  hero  ?  They  write  and  ask 
me.  I  can  answer  best  in  the  words  of  Myron  Zobel,  editor 
of  Screenland  Magazine.  He,  also,  receives  countless  com- 
munications from  would-be  heroes.  Here's  what  he  says : 


42  Opportunities  in  the 

"Readers  are  constantly  writing  in  to  us  asking  'How 
can  I  become  a  hero  in  the  movies  ?'  To  this  query,  we  have 
frequently  made  answer,  'Try  to  forget  about  the  movies 
and  be  a  hero  in  your  own  home  town.  There  is  less  com- 
petition.' " 

But  if  you  find  your  home  town  too  narrow  for  your 
talent,  take  an  inventory  of  your  physical  attributes  and  see 
if  you  measure  up. 

Features. — Regular,  but  not  necessarily  classic.  The 
virile  type  of  he-man,  is  more  popular  than  the  very  hand- 
some hero.  Strong  features  are  better  than  small  features. 

Complexion. — Men  usually  photograph  dark,  so  that 
the  medium  blonde  makes  the  best  type.  But  the  attractive 
brunette  who  has  a  reputation  for  being  "romantic"  cer- 
tainly pleases  the  women. 

Stature. — Not  too  short.  A  man  has  to  be  over  five 
feet  four.  Occasionally  a  comedian  or  a  juvenile  will  get 
away  with  less,  but  the  hero  must  tower  above  his  lady  love. 
Richard  Barthelmess  is  not  tall ;  neither  is  Charles  Ray.  The 
ideal  man  of  the  movies  is  a  little  over  that  vague  standard 
known  as  "average  height." 

Weight. — A  man  can  be  heavy  if  he  wants  to  be  funny, 
but  if  he  expects  to  be  taken  seriously,  he  must  be  slender. 
The  long  lines  are  better  than  the  broad,  although  fans  are 
apt  to  classify  the  large-framed,  big  boned  man  as  "virile." 
Many  of  our  most  popular  actors  are  of  the  heavy  set,  sturdy 
type. 

And  as  for  brains,  well,  you've  just  got  to  have  them. 
Sometimes  you  hear  people  say,  "Oh,  those  handsome  heroes, 
all  they  have  to  do  is  pose  and  dress  well." 

Don't  you  believe  it.  Those  handsome  heroes  have  to 
work  mighty  hard  to  please  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
fans  who  are  anxious  and  eager  to  criticize  every  bat  of  the 
male  eyelash.  Fans  are  willing  to  forgive  the  ladies  their 
technical  missteps  and  errors,  but  a  man — never. 

A  male  actor  has  to  have  fine  judgment.  He  must  be 
able  to  criticize  his  own  work  and  accept  criticism.  He  must 
exercise  extreme  caution,  for  he  knows  that  his  critics 
reason  thus : 


Motion  Picture  Industry  43 

If  a  man's  emotion  is  a  trifle  over-emphasized,  they 
say  he  is  extreme  or  melodramatic.  If  he  is  repressed,  they 
say  he  cannot  act.  If  he  is  inclined  to  be  punctilious  in  his 
manners,  he  is  a  sissy,  but  if  he  is  not  always  quite  the 
perfect  gentleman,  they  call  him  a  roughneck.  If  he  is 
energetic  and  full  of  pep,  he  is  a  clown,  while  if  his  acting 
embodies  a  little  more  dignity  and  poise  than  they  expect, 
they  label  him  dumbell. 

Now  if  a  man  is  not  an  artist,  he  cannot  draw  that  fine 
line  between  the  degrees  of  emphasis  he  must  give  his  role. 
And  if  he  is  an  artist,  we  must  all  concede  that  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  intellect. 

A  stupid  man  can  no  more  make  a  success  in  the  studio 
than  he  could  in  the  law  office,  the  laboratory,  the  drafting 
room,  the  banking  house  or  the  cloak  and  suit  business. 

There  are  a  number  of  qualities  that  stars  of  both  sexes 
must  possess.  I  shall  not  talk  of  dramatic  ability.  That,  of 
course,  is  the  one  qualification  that  is  absolutely  necessary. 
It  is  too  elusive  a  thing  to  describe.  One  either  has  ability 
or  he  hasn't  it.  Without  it,  there  can  be  no  dramatic  or 
screen  success.  If  the  screen  aspirant  is  possessed  of 
ability,  that  quality  need  not  be  developed  at  the  time  appli- 
cation is  made  for  a  position.  It  will  surely  be  discovered. 
Of  course,  the  person  whose  natural  talents  have  been 
cultivated  is  much  more  desirable,  and  I  would  advise  any 
young  person  who  really  believes  he  has  that  ability,  to  set 
about  obtaining  the  proper  coaching  just  as  soon  as  possible. 
It  is  possible,  however,  to  master  the  art  in  the  studio  proper 
if  one  is  content  to  make  a  very  humble  beginning.  Patience, 
then,  must  also  be  a  virtue  with  you. 

Sincerity  and  friendliness  must  also  be  included  in  the 
actor's  make  up.  For  the  lucky  one  who  achieves  stardom 
absolute  honesty  is  necessary.  On  or  off  stage,  in  the  studio, 
in  the  street,  even  at  home,  the  conduct  of  the  star  is  being 
observed.  He  must  be  strictly  sincere  in  all  his  dealings.  He 
must  be  consistent  always. 

The  ability  to  meet  people  i«  a  friendly,  whole-hearted 
fashion  and  to  make  strangers  feel  at  ease  is  one  of  his 
greatest  assets.  Any  newspaper  man  will  tell  you  that 
there  are  certain  stars  whose  naturalness  disarms  the  wariest 


44  Opportunities  in  the 

of  publicity  men,  and  these  men  find  themselves  constantly 
making  reference  to  such  stars  and  publishing  their  pictures. 

Such  stars  are  their  own  best  press  agents. 

Stars  must  have  poise  and  balance.  They  are  constantly 
being  admired,  petted  and  fussed  over ;  likewise  noticed  and 
judged  during  their  waking  hours.  A  light-headed,  frivolous 
person  will  lose  his  sense  of  values,  will  become  conceited, 
overbearing — what  we  call  "upstage." 

Education,  culture,  learning,  bring  poise  and  balance. 
The  more  one  knows  of  life,  the  less  one  thinks  of  himself. 
No  matter  how  famous  a  man  or  woman  may  become,  in 
the  face  of  the  universe,  he  or  she  is  as  unimportant  as  an 
insect  crawling  on  the  ground.  A  really  cultured  person 
can  never  become  so  self-important  that  he  will  be  referred 
to  as  "upstage." 

There  is  one  more  quality  which  a  star  must  have — that 
is  the  capacity  for  hard  work.  Studio  life  is  no  bed  of  roses. 
I  have  seen  many  women  workers — clerks,  stenographers, 
writers,  domestics,  solicitors,  doctors  and  lawyers — and  I 
can  honestly  say  that  there  is  no  single  class  that  works 
harder  than  the  woman  on  the  screen. 

The  layman  thinks  the  actor's  life  is  one  round  of 
pleasure,  wine,  dancing,  parties,  midnight  frolics.  He  is 
sadly  mistaken."  No  labor  union  permits  its  members  the 
hours  that  the  player  must  keep.  No  other  class  of  workers 
would  tolerate  such  conditions.  Out  in  the  snow  in  the  dead 
of  winter,  sometimes  a  scene  has  to  be  taken  over  time 
and  time  again.  In  the  burning  sun  in  the  heat  of  summer 
there  may  have  to  be  hours  of  waiting  before  the  scene  is 
actually  made. 

Motion  picture  players  work  too  hard  during  the  day  to 
spend  their  nights  at  parties  and  frolics.  They  give  too 
much  of  their  energy  to  their  work  to  have  any  left  to  spend 
on  wild  jamborees.  They  can't  eat  too  much  or  drink  too 
much  because  a  bad  digestion  would  ruin  their  looks,  and 
cut  off  the  income.  The  young  person  entering  the  studio 
must  consecrate  his  life,  devote  all  his  energies  to  developing 
his  talents.  Otherwise,  he  cannot  hope  to  succeed. 

There  is  certainly  a  great  opportunity  for  workers  in 
motion  pictures.  I  mean  workers,  and  not  those  persons 


Motion  Picture  Industry  45 

who  expect  to  find  an  easy  way  to  make  money  or  gain 
recognition.  This  is  a  profession  serious  as  law,  journal- 
ism, medicine,  engineering.  Its  leaders  are  those  who  are 
willing  to  take  it  seriously. 

I  hope  I  have  made  it  perfectly  clear  to  you  that  beauty 
is  only  one  of  the  essential  requirements  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture star.  Indeed,  the  failure  to  find  financial  success  that 
has  greeted  the  efforts  of  many  producers  who  have  tried 
to  "make"  a  star  simply  because  she  was  good  to  look  at, 
has  done  a  great  deal  towards  bringing  a  new  regime  in 
picture-making  and  establishing  new  standards  for  would-be 
stars.  No  less  an  authority  than  Cecil  B.  De  Mille  sums  up 
the  necessary  qualifications  as  follows: 

Beauty — not  necessarily  classic,  but  certainly  piquant. 

Culture. 

Good  health. 

Native  intelligence. 

The  capacity  for  hard  work. 

There  you  have  the  requirements  for  screen  success. 
Pretty  stiff  list,  isn't  it? 

If  a  star  must  possess  all  these  qualifications,  you  say — 
how  is  it  that  there  are  so  many  stars  in  the  movie  firmament  ? 
Bless  my  soul,  there  aren't  so  many  stars! 


ARE  YOU  A  SCREEN  PERSONALITY? 

By  F.  A.  DATIG 

Casting  Director,   Universal   City,   Calif. 

Editor^  Note:  The  following:  chapter  will  be  certain  to  give  a 
close  insight  into  what  one  of  the  film  industry's  foremost  casting 
directors  thinks  about  his  work  and  the  many  difficult  "screen 
personalities"  that  daily  come  to  his  attention. 


£  s  "W    TT  AVE  you  any  work  for  me  ?" 

I     I  I  wonder  just  how  many  times  a  day  I 

A  JL  answer  this  question.  It  is  surprising  how 
many  people  there  are,  trying  to  make  a  living 
in  the  pictures.  Some  are  fitted  for  this  work,  but  the 
greater  number  are  not  qualified  for  more  than  the  merest 
atmosphere,  and  it  does  not  take  much  time  for  us  to  dis- 
cover any  latent  possibilities  along  these  lines.  The  lure 
of  the  silver  screen  is  very  great.  We  receive  hundreds 
of  applications  daily  from  people  who  are  desirous  of  en- 
tering the  movies,  and  these  applications  come  from  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

We  are  at  all  times  glad  to  hear  from  each  applicant, 
whether  by  phone  or  in  person.  This  applies  to  every  one 
in  the  profession,  from  the  greatest  leading  man  or  woman 
to  the  lowliest  extra.  In  a  studio  such  as  I  represent,  at 
which  there  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty  companies  producing 
at  all  times,  it  is  very  hard  to  keep  in  mind  each  and  every 
character  needed  in  the  different  stories. 

There  are  only  two  rules  governing  people's  adapta- 
bility for  the  movies — ability  and  hard  work.  There  is  no 
limit  of  beauty  or  age  or  size,  for  sometime,  somewhere, 
in  some  picture,  there  is  a  place  for  the  ugliest  as  well  as 
the  most  beautiful,  the  tallest  as  well  as  the  shortest,  the 
oldest  as  well  as  the  youngest.  Bear  in  mind  that  these 
calls  do  not  come  each  day — far  from  it — but  when  you 
take  into  consideration  the  vastness  of  the  moving  picture 
industry,  you  will  see  that  at  some  time  or  other,  every 
type  of  human  being  must  be  used. 

The  selection  of  extra  people  is  as  important  as  the 
choosing  of  the  cast.  The  greatest  care  is  given  this  de- 
partment, because  a  background  will  often  spoil  the  effect 

47 


48  Opportunities  in  the 

of  the  action  which  is  going  on  in  front  of  it.  Most  of 
the  names  that  appear  in  electric  lights  over  our  motion 
picture  theatres  belong  to  men  and  women  who  have 
achieved  fame  and  success  through  the  long,  weary  years 
of  work  as  an  "extra."  Even  those  who  have  come  from 
the  legitimate  stage,  with  varying  degrees  of  success  there, 
are  compelled  to  take  lesser  parts  in  the  movies  in  order  to 
study  what  is  called  "technique,"  in  order  to  perfect  their 
"make-up,"  and  in  order  to  understand  best  how  to  infuse 
their  personalities  into  the  parts  which  the,y  are  given  to 
portray. 

I  believe  that  some  time  ago  someone  said  that  beauty 
did  not  count  so  -much  as  brains.  I  think  most  picture 
people  will  agree  with  me  when  I  say  that  beauty  comes 
first,  especially  in  the  case  of  ingenues  and  leading  women. 
Given  beauty — we  are  very  often  able  to  develop  ability. 
And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  believe  that  the  majority  of 
people  would  rather  look  at  a  beautiful  girl  who  is  not  a 
clever  actress,  than  one  who  is  tremendously  clever  but 
who  is  not  good  to  look  at.  However,  beauty  and  ability 
form  the  ideal  combination — but  even  greater  than  either 
or  both  of  these  two  qualities  is  that  elusive  thing  called 
"Personality." 

This  is  applicable  to  juveniles  and  to  leading  men.  We 
expect  a  juvenile  to  be  a  perfect  example  of  clean,  healthy, 
exuberant  youth.  The  leading  man  is  just  a  grown  up 
juvenile  with  the  addition  of  character  which  comes  with 
the  years. 

But  each  of  these  types,  as  well  as  those  who  portray 
the  heavy  and  character  parts,  must  be  students  of  life — 
for  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  convincing  characterization 
without  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  particular  character 
which  they  are  called  upon  to  portray.  The  greatest  care 
is  used  in  making  the  selection  of  the  cast,  since  it  is  always 
necessary  that  the  characters  be  true  to  life  and  appealing 
to  the  audience,  which  is  our  only  critic,  and  a  very  severe 
one. 

In  the  average  audience  today  there  are  numbers  of 
people  who  unconsciously  imagine  themselves  playing  the 


Motion  Picture  Industry  49 

parts  depicted  by  the  characters  on  the  screen,  and  whose 
criticism  depends  upon  the  interpretation  of  that  char- 
acter by  that  actor.  It  is  therefore  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance that  the  people  selected  to  play  these  parts  have 
the  personality  required  to  portray  their  roles  in  a  manner 
true  to  life. 

Many  times  the  stories  we  see  on  the  screen  mirror 
events  through  which  we  ourselves  have  lived,  and  the  suc- 
cessful actors  and  actresses  are  those  who  are  capable  of 
making  us  feel  that  we  would  have  acted  just  as  they  have. 
Unless  they  have  personality,  and  can  inject  that  personality 
into  their  work,  we  feel  that  the  presentation  is  unreal. 

The  motion  picture  represents  to  the  spectators  their 
"Ideal" — for  the  few  hours  in  which  they  are  in  the  theatre, 
the  audience  is  in  the  land  of  Make  Believe.  It  is,  there- 
fore, imperative  that  the  people  selected  to  play  for  them 
make  the  greatest  appeal.  The  person  going  into  a  motion 
picture  theatre  unconsciously  clothes  the  actors  with  his 
Qwn  impressions,  and  it  is  necessary  that  the  actor  and 
producer  bring  to  the  screen  the  closest  approach  possible  to 
perfection. 


YOUR    OPPORTUNITY    IN    MOTION    PICTURES 

BU  THOMAS  H.  INCE 

Editor's  Note:  In  presenting  to  the  readers  of  these  volumes, 
this  chapter,  by  an  authority  who  has  contributed  such  wealth  to 
the  material  and  spiritual  possessions  of  the  silver  sheet,  I  feel  that 
the  readers  of  this  volume  will  have  settled  in  their  minds  for  all  timr 
the  angle  of  the  motion  picture  producer  in  his  relation  to  the  public. 
In  his  pilgrimage  for  the  attainment  of  the  ultimate  in  the  cinema  art, 
Mr.  Ince  has  encountered  every  obstacle  in  the  winding  Road  to 
Realization.  He  knows,  probably  as  well  as  any  one,  the  appointments 
and  disappointments  which  grip  men  and  women  in  their  quest  of  a 
chosen  accomplishment.  Mr.  Ince  tells  here,  in  simple  form,  of  the 
acute  need  for  talent  with  which  to  reinforce  the  ever-increasing 
demand  of  the  silent  drama. 

THE  successful  producer  of  motion  pictures  has  to  be 
twins.  One  of  his  selves  must  be  an  artist.  The  other 
one  must  be  a  business  man. 

I  think  there  never  has  been  any  occupation  quite 
as  singular. 

As  an  artist,  the  producer  still  must  be  as  sane  and 
as  practical  as  John  D.  Rockefeller. 

As  a  business  man,  he  must  somehow  manage  to  cherish 
the  soul  of  a  poet. 

With  one  eye  he  has  to  see  the  figures  on  the  cost  sheet ; 
with  the  other  he  has  to  see  the  glow  of  the  sunset.  His 
dreams  are  surrounded  by  card  indices,  and  desk  telephones. 

As  the  art  of  motion  picture  making  develops  and 
expands,  the  necessity  of  being  two  different  men  of  exactly 
opposite  type  presses  upon  the  producer  with  increasing 
vehemence. 

The  public  is  no  longer  satisfied  with  the  crude  "movies" 
that  entertained  them  in  the  beginning.  The  fans  have  be- 
come critical  and  sensitively  insistent  upon  a  standard  of 
art  that  never  was  dreamed  of  in  the  beginning  of  this  in- 
dustry. They  are  satisfied  with  nothing  but  supreme 
symphonies. 

On  the  other  hand,  motion  picture  production  as  a 
business  has  taken  on  the  most  extraordinary  complexities 
and  difficulties. 

51 


52  Opportunities  in  the 

Probably  no  other  form  of  commercial  enterprise  now 
requires  more  astute  and  careful  calculation,  or  more  accu- 
rate and  finished  efficiency. 

To  the  person  who  glances  casually  at  this  extraordinary 
situation,  it  might  appear  that  the  task  of  the  producer  is 
rapidly  headed  toward  the  morass  of  the  impossible;  that 
the  conflict  in  the  requirements  would  soon  become  so  pro- 
nounced that  no  one  man  could  succeed  in  driving  both 
horses  of  this  fractious  team. 

To  the  thoughtful  student  of  practical  philosophy,  how- 
ever, of  course  the  contrary  is  true. 

The  wider  apart  these  two  functions — of  business  man 
and  artist — grow,  the  more  quickly,  in  fact,  do  they  approach 
the  point  where  they  join.  On  the  face  of  things,  it  might 
seem  impossible  for  one  man  to  be  both.  Some  day  we  will 
realize  that  to  be  either  is  to  be  both. 

Everyone  who  reads  deeply  now  realizes  that  mathe- 
matics, carried  to  the  highest  point,  becomes  purely  meta- 
physical ;  rise  absolutely  out  of  the  realm  of  physical  fact — 
into  philosophy. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  series  of  remarkable  discoveries 
made  recently,  in  connection  with  the  statues  of  ancient 
Greece,  shows  that  all  art  ultimately  becomes  mathematics. 

In  other  words,  if  you  carry  them  far  enough,  arith- 
metic, music,  painting,  sculpture  and  drama,  arrive  at  exactly 
the  same  point,  and  are  discovered  to  be  made  of  the  same 
stuff. 

Superficially  speaking,  it  would  seem  that  a  business 
man  and  an  artist  were  about  as  far  removed  as  the  two 
poles. 

As  a  matter  of  cold  truth,  the  perfect  artist  always 
relies  upon  a  foundation  of  sound  business  principles.  The 
great  business  men  of  our  time  have  been,  without  exception, 
men  of  the  highest  imaginative  faculties — that  is  to  say, 
artists. 

When  the  perfect  mathematician  finally  comes  along,  he 
will  be  discovered  to  be  a  perfect  artist,  and  therefore,  a 
perfect  "showman." 


Motion  Picture  Industry  53 

I  do  not  mean  by  this  to  imply  that  he  will  be  of  neces- 
sity a  ballyhoo  expert.  . 

I  have  no  sympathy  with  those  who  sniff  at  the  word 
"showman." 

To  me,  that  is  the  term  of  the  highest  honor.  To  me 
a  "showman"  is  a  man  or  woman  whose  heart  beats  in 
sympathy  with  the  hopes  and  fears  of  the  world. 

No  other  living  being  gets  so  close  to  the  warm  soul 
of  human  life  as  the  actor  who  thinks  and  cares. 

It  is  an  indefinable,  soulful — intangible,  tender,  human 
contact — "showmanship." 

To  my  mind  the  greatest  "showman"  who  ever  lived, 
was  "The  Man  of  Nazareth,"  who  died  on  the  cross.  He 
was  a  "showman"  in  that  he  knew  how  to  translate  deep, 
difficult,  complex,  philosophical  truths  into  terms  so  simple 
as  to  be  at  once  understood  by  the  humblest  fishermen,  casu- 
ally pausing  at  the  edge  of  a  group  of  listeners ;  and  yet  so 
profoundly  true,  so  deeply  true,  that  they  have  endured  the 
battering  of  supercilious  criticism  throughout  two  thousand 
years. 

The  greatest  men  throughout  the  ages,  and  more  espe- 
cially in  our  own  day,  have  had  one  outstanding  character- 
istic that  distinguished  their  minds  and  souls — "showman- 
ship." 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  for  instance,  was  almost  perfect  in 
his  "showmanship" — that  is  to  say,  in  his  instinctive  knowl- 
edge of  the  way  into  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  the 
careless — the  careful — the  gentle — the  brutal — the  adven- 
turous, and  the  timid. 

His,  the  universal  heart — knowing  the  universal  heart. 

To  the  extent  to  which  they  are  "showmen"  most  pic- 
ture producers  will  achieve  that  really  highest  success  that 
amounts  to  something. 

To  the  extent  that  they  are  genuine,  sincere  artists,  will 
they  be  business  men. 

To  the  extent  that  they  are  honest,  conscientious,  far- 
seeing  business  men  will  they  be  great  artists. 


54  -Opportunities  in  the 

NEW  TALENT  URGENTLY  NEEDED 

Like  most  industries  which  grow  so  rapidly  that  demand 
exceeds  supply,  the  motion  picture  industry  faces  a  state 
of  exhaustion  in  human  material  with  which  to  represent 
the  characters  suggested  by  the  constantly  increasing  influx 
of  literary  contributions  for  adaptation  for  the  screen. 

In  the  earlier  periods  of  picture  making,  unknown 
young  men  and  women  of  marked  talent  and  gracious  ap- 
pearance found  it  obviously  difficult,  and  in  instances  where 
no  professional  experience  was  cited,  next  to  impossible 
to  gain  entree  into  pictures. 

Now,  however,  the  producers  are  cognizant  of  natural 
talent  and  sincere  ambition ;  they  have  reached  a  milestone 
in  their  careers  where  it  is  both  possible  and  sensible  to 
encourage  the  development  of  aspirants  and  to  offer  such 
stimulation  and  assistance  as  will  cultivate  inborn  talent  and 
desire. 

The  abnormal  excitement  and  agitated  rush  which  was 
so  conspicuous  in  former  days,  has  been  replaced  with 
system  and  precision  of  operation  in  all  departments  of 
studio  administration,  that  permit  a  schedule  of  production 
that  extends  far  into  the  future,  and  also  affords  the  oppor- 
tunity to  test  and  experiment  without  detriment  to  prevalent 
production  and  with  pronounced  advantages  to  both  the 
producer  and  the  public. 

As  a  collective  response  to  hundreds  of  young  men  and 
women  who  have  sought  advice  on  the  possibilities  of  a 
motion  picture  career,  I  unhesitatingly  recommend  per- 
severance, courage,  and,  above  all,  honesty  with  one's  self. 

The  opportunity  for  those  who  believe  in  themselves 
and  who  are  sincere  in  their  determination  to  win  was  never 
more  inviting  than  in  the  immediate  present.  Talent  is 
needed  in  greater  quantity — and  quality — than  ever  before, 
and  the  producer  is  only  too  willing  to  draw  from  the  great 
American  public  as  the  source  of  supply. 

The  development  of  a  prospective  personality  is  largely 
a  matter  of  one's  willingness  to  be  developed.  Contrary  to 
common  belief,  every  talented  actor  is  not  receptive  to 


Motion  Picture  Industry  55 

judicious   cultivation,   no   matter   how   superior   or  distin- 
guished his  preliminary  work  may  be. 

I  have  known  some  men  and  women  with  every  qualifi- 
cation to  enter  upon  a  starring  career.  Natural  histrionic 
ability,  good  looks,  poise,  grace  and  powerful  personality 
were  theirs  in  generous  abundance.  But  these  men  and 
women,  like  many  artists  of  delicate  temperament  and  nar- 
row vision,  could  see  no  further  than  their  own  individual 
desires.  If  their  particular  type  of  personality  or  art 
demanded  devotion  to  a  highly  specialized  form  of  charac- 
terization, their  restricted  reasoning  or  un familiarity  with 
the  critical  likes  and  dislikes  of  the  patronizing  public  ren- 
dered them  blind  to  existing  vogues,  victims  of  their  own 
stubborn  refusal  to  engage  in  the  line  of  work  obviously 
adapted  to  their  attributes  and  best  interests. 

My  first  responsibility  after  the  decision  to  advance 
a  player  to  featured  roles  or  to  the  ultimate  stardom  is 
to  place  myself  on  the  outside  looking  in;  to  analyze  the 
player's  capabilities  and  personality  from  the  viewpoint,  pro 
and  con,  of  one  hundred  million  Americans. 

On  the  accuracy  of  that  viewpoint,  the  vital  conclusion 
as  to  just  which  type  of  characterization  is  best  fitted  to  the 
player's  art,  lies  the  success  or  failure  of  the  prospective 
star.  Development  following  this  decision  resolves  itself 
into  the  concrete.  It  is  my  duty,  then,  to  provide  the  coming 
star  with  stories  which  will  exemplify  his  talents  and  afford 
every  opportunity  for  the  exploitation  o$f  his  distinct  per- 
sonality. Every  encouragement  is  offered  the  player.  I 
exchange  confidences,  always  striving  to  stimulate  ambition 
and  satisfy  my  protege  on  the  artistry  and  practicability  of 
the  type  of  characterization  provided. 

I  do  not  imply  that  the  player  is  confined  to  one  style 
of  role  indefinitely.  To  the  contrary,  I  advocate  change. 
Only  by  contrast  and  versatility  can  interest  and  popularity 
be  permanently  maintained,  but  never  must  one's  personality 
and  natural  talents  be  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  variety.  And 
a  star  must  never  make  a  spasmodic  jump  into  fields  foreign 
to  his  knowledge  or  art. 

When  acquiring  new  leading  players  or  stars,  I  invari- 
ably put  them  through  shadow  rehearsals  prior  to  the 


56  Opportunities  in  the 

photographing  of  a  scene.  Every  situation  in  the  play  is 
acted  and  reacted  before  a  camera  moves  into  place.  This 
method  was  employed  in  the  development  of  Douglas 
MacLean  and  Doris  May,  and  is  now  being  utilized  for  the 
advancement  of  young  Lloyd  Hughes.  Taking  chances  is 
costly  in  motion  picture  production,  and  to  eliminate  these 
hazardous  risks  on  the  careers  of  potential  stars,  we  must 
know  in  advance  to  some  extent  what  their  possibilities  for 
success  are. 

I  devote  many  hours  daily  to  a  personal  inspection  of 
the  "rushes"  (scenes  "shot"  the  previous  day).  Perhaps 
the  director  of  the  picture  has  overlooked  an  opportunity 
for  a  situation  or  climax  that  will  establish  the  player's 
reputation  as  a  dramatic  artist  of  unusual  qualities.  Per- 
haps a  high  light  or  hazy  background  has  escaped  the  notice 
of  the  cameraman,  thereby  deflecting  from  the  star's  per- 
sonal charms. 

Then  again,  I  have  experienced  many  instances  where 
too  many  "close-ups"  work  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  star. 
In  other  cases,  the  director  has  permitted  a  succession  of 
profile  shots  to  mar  the  otherwise  brilliant  appearance  of 
the  principal.  And  in  still  other  cases  of  production,  the 
star  has  been  allowed  to  force  the  pantomime,  thereby  cast- 
ing a  shadow  of  artificiality  over  what  should  have  been  free 
and  easy,  natural  movement. 

These  are  details  which  may  seem  trivial  to  the  casual 
observer,  but  to  the  intelligent  public — the  men,  women  and 
children  who,  after  all,  are  the  sole  judges  of  star  material — 
they  spell  success  or  failure  of  the  principal  and  the  pro- 
ducer responsible  for  results. 

When  inconsistencies  and  faulty  direction  are  noted 
in  these  "rushes,"  "retakes"  are  in  order,  thus  safeguarding 
the  star's  development  and  subsequent  presentation  to  the 
public. 

Generally  speaking,  from  six  to  twelve  months  are  con- 
sumed in  my  system  of  star  development.  No  attempt  is 
made  to  hasten  the  procedure.  I  am  a  firm  exponent  of  the 
"slow  and  careful"  process  which  forestalls  failure  and 
installs  confidence  and  fidelity  to  the  highest  standards  of 
dramatic  art. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  57 

Barring  uncontrollable  circumstances,  such  as  pro- 
longed illness,  enforced  temporary  retirement  for  various 
personal  reasons,  a  star  has  only  himself  or  his  producer 
to  blame  for  loss  of  public  affection  and  prestige.  The  star 
is  to  blame  for  permitting  ego  and  conceit  to  seize  control 
of  his  former  cautious  self  ;  for  taking  too  much  for  granted ; 
for  failing  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times  and  for  becoming 
lax  and  indifferent  to  new  ways  and  means  to  hold  the 
public's  interest. 

The  producer  is  to  blame  for  permitting  the  star's 
"hobbies"  and  miscalculated  ambitions  to  influence  his  judg- 
ment as  to  what  the  public  demands,  for  arranging  his 
procluctional  schedule  to  meet  "release  dates,"  regardless  of 
the  character  of  the  production  and  the  time  necessary  to 
produce  properly  the  picture,  for  placing  the  star  in  char- 
acterizations which  fail  to  emphasize  the  best  capabilities ; 
for  relying  mainly  upon  the  work  of  the  star,  discounting 
the  value  of  the  story  and  cast  with  which  to  enhance  and 
exemplify  the  star's  performance. 

Some  producers  have  made  the  fatal  error  of  mistak- 
ing "types"  for  "stars."  A  big  special  attraction  is  exhibited 
in  the  theatres.  One  of  the  important  parts  is  portrayed  by 
a  young  and  radiant  girl  who  enacts  the  role  to  perfection. 
People  talk  and  say:  "She  is  the  only  girl  who  could  have 
handled  that  part.  Why  don't  we  see  more  of  her  ?"  Shortly 
thereafter,  this  same  girl  is  announced  as  a  star  in  her  own 
right.  She  is  advertised  and  exploited  as  "the  Great  Dis- 
covery" in  such-and-such  a  film.  Elaborate  and  altogether 
sincere  plans  are  made  for  her  featured  presentation  to  the 
public  whose  interest  and  applause  she  has  won.  But  this 
same  personage,  after  one  or  several  productions,  suddenly 
drops  out  of  the  running,  and  her  faithful  followers  wonder 
why. 

The  answer  is  very  simple.  As  a  type,  or  character 
study,  in  one  particuular  picture,  she  was  one  in  a  hundred. 
The  character  she  portrayed  was  made  to  order  for  her 
personality  and  talent.  But  as  a  star,  required  to  shoulder 
the  bulk  of  the  burden  of  pleasing  the  public,  she  was  found 
"too  light,"  not  possessed  of  the  ability  to  shoulder  a  star's 
responsibilities.  The  blame  for  such  failure  rests  mainly 


58  Opportunities  in  the 

on  the  producer.  The  girl  was  misjudged  and  miscast.  En- 
thusiasm— eagerness  to  capitalize  on  a  centralized  person- 
ality— lead  to  chagrin  for  the  "discovery,"  and  financial  loss 
for  the  sponsor. 

Many  leading  stars  of  the  present  day  were  recruited 
from  the  ranks  of  some  uncommonly  fine  production  such  as 
I  illustrate  herewith,  and  many  more  principals  rose  from 
the  ranks  of  leading  men  and  women,  but  in  these  instances, 
the  producers  did  not  mistake  "types"  for  stars.  They  tested 
personality  and  ability  from  every  possible  angle  and  view- 
point, and  made  reasonably  certain  that  the  material  and 
versatility  were  there. 

What  is  generally  described  as  a  "movie  fad"  is  also 
responsible  for  the  demise  of  public  affection.  Seeking 
greater  recognition  and  adoration,  the  star  drastically  de- 
parts from  the  characteristic  style  of  work,  and  attempts  to 
establish  a  reigning  vogue  in  some  chosen  form  of  dramatic 
expression.  The  "fad"  proves  popular  for  a  period  of  time, 
and  then  the  public  transfers  its  favor  elsewhere,  plainly 
disgusted  with  so-and-so's  presumptuous  efforts. 

The  stars  who  continue  to  hold  the  respect  and  patron- 
age of  the  playgoers  are  those  who  exercise  moderation  and 
discretion  in  all  things  pertaining  to  their  art.  Brains  are 
as  necessary  as  beauty.  Without  intelligence  and  intellect 
— firm  reasoning  power  and  the  determination  and  physical 
energy  to  support  it — the  parting  of  the  ways  is  inevitable. 

The  gravest  danger,  perhaps,  is  over-confidence.  A 
star  must  never  entertain  the  thought  that  he  or  she  is  indis- 
pensable. The  greater  the  popularity,  the  greater  the  need 
for  strict  attention  to  the  trend  of  public  opinion.  The  really 
famous  stars  of  today  are  continually  observing  and 
analyzing. 

Eavesdropping  in  a  crowded  theatre,  overhearing  the 
unbiased  remarks  and  comments  of  typical  "fans,"  reading 
critical  reviews  of  their  acting  and  keeping  informed  on 
developments  in  the  industry,  concern  them  more  than  the 
flattering  "praise"  of  their  close  friends  and  associates 
within  the  studios. 

The  producer,  too,  must  exercise  care  in  the  number  of 
photoplays  in  which  the  star  is  presented.  Six  or  eight  high- 


Motion  Picture  Industry  59 

class  productions  a  year  are  more  desired  than  twelve  or 
fourteen  of  inferior  quality.  Then  again,  the  star  should 
avoid  the  inclination  to  retire  temporarily  from  the  screen. 
Competition  is  keen.  During  the  absence  the  public  may 
*  forget  and  the  throne  may  be  acquired  by  a  nevr  heir  to 
fame. 

Of  even  greater  significance  than  any  of  the  aforemen- 
tioned reasons  for  wane  of  popularity  is  the  matter  of 
correct  casting.  A  characterization  not  in  harmony  with 
the  star's  distinct  personality,  a  succession  of  weak,  unin- 
teresting stories,  and  inadequate  interpretation  of  supporting 
cast  requirements,  tend  to  displease  the  public  and  work 
untold  hardship  on  the  star. 

Scenario  writing  has  been  a  badly  abused  art. 
"Abused"  for  the  reason  that  aspiring  writers  have  failed 
to  estimate  adequately  the  tremendous  importance  of  "human 
nature"  in  creating  and  visualizing  their  characters.  The 
highly  successful  photodrama  of  today  is  one  that  catches 
the  interest  and  holds  the  eager  attention  through  sheer  force 
of  humaneness  and  fidelity  to  detail.  The  day  has  passed 
when  our  characters  move  like  wire-pulled  puppets.  The 
obviously  manufactured  type  of  photodrama  is  a  relic  of 
ancient  periods.  The  playgoing  public  has  exercised  patience 
and  indulgence  to  the  limit  of  its  endurance,  and  their  minds 
are  now  set  on  character  studies  that  are  really  true  to  life. 

Men  and  women  who  engage  in  writing  for  the  screen 
should  first  of  all  prove  their  seriousness  of  purpose  and 
their  faith  in  the  best  traditions  of  the  drama,  by  preparing 
themselves  for  their  work,  through  a  course  of  study.  And 
fortunately  the  opportunity  for  such  study  now  exists  for 
the  first  time. 

Your  seriousness  may  be  evidenced  by  a  stout  refusal 
to  permit  your  enthusiasm  and  your  haste  to  offset  the  value 
of  care  and  thought  in  the  preparation  of  the  "script" ;  your 
loyalty  may  be  proved  by  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  re- 
quirements of  the  screen,  and  a  second  stout  refusal  to 
permit  your  imagination  to  make  inroads  on  logic  and  truth. 

Intelligent  persons  possessed  of  the  average  powers 
of  observation  can  soon  ascertain  whether  or  not  a  char- 


60  Opportunities  in  the 

acter  or  a  story  is  built  along  logical  lines  characteristic  of 
the  human  race.  They  will  separate  the  possible  from  the 
impossible,  the  sweet  and  wholesome  from  the  crude  and 
vulgar. 

In  constructing  plots,  my  first  counsel  is  to  build  UP, 
not  DOWN !  Gauge  your  situations  and  episodes  to  lead 
to  a  climax  that  will  accentuate  all  preceding  scenes.  Make 
this  climax  strong,  virile,  picturesque,  colorful — redolent  of 
life's  passions.  Do  not,  under  any  circumstances,  rely  upon 
a  picture's  early  situations  to  carry  and  sustain  interest 
throughout  the  play. 

Arrange  your  sequences  with  strict  attention  to  co- 
herence and  continuity  of  action,  but  strive  to  make  each 
situation  better — and  stronger — than  its  predecessor — almost 
independent  of  its  forerunner  so  far  as  quality  and  story 
is  concerned.  Many  writers  have  fallen  short  of  their  mark 
because  they  opened  their  plot  with  a  "crash,"  so  to  speak, 
and,  depending  on  this  intensity  at  the  start,  allowed  interest 
to  lag  through  failure  to  provide  subsequent  situations  and 
climaxes  of  real  dramatic  merit.  The  successful  photoplay 
is  one  that  is  well  balanced  throughout,  always  leading  on 
and  on,  stimulating  imagination  and  preparing  for  the  ulti- 
mate finale  which  appeases  and  satisfies  the  expectant  spec- 
tator. 

Many  photoplay  authorities  advise  inexperienced  writers 
not  to  attempt  scenarios  in  continuity  form.  I  agree  with 
them  only  partially.  There  is  keen  satisfaction  and  valuable 
experience  in  training  the  mind  to  operate  along  technical 
lines,  and  the  inconsistencies  and  "impossible"  situations 
which  are  described  in  skeleton  synopsis,  probably  would 
be 'omitted  if  the  author  were  required  to  arrange  these 
sequences  in  established  "action"  form. 

Beginners  should  not  submit  continuities  to  photoplay 
editors,  but  much  good  experience  may  be  gained  by  pro- 
curing a  well-written  continuity,  analyzing  its  construction 
and  methods  of  approach  and  then  typewriting  the  com- 
plete action  of  the  story  to  conform  with  the  prescribed  rules 
of  the  technical  script.  Following  this  procedure,  the  author 
may  narrate  the  story  in  condensed  synopsis  form,  omitting 


Motion  Picture  Industry  61 

everything  which  appears  impractical  or  inhuman  in  the 
continuity.  The  reverse  may  also  be  utilized  to  advantage, 
the  synopsis  coming  first  and  the  continuity  second. 

These  methods,  mind  you,  are  counseled  only  for  the 
ambitious  individuals  who  are  willing  to  practice  and  con- 
centrate prior  to  submitting  their  plots.  Concentration  is 
perhaps  the  most  important  requisite;  and  the  continuity 
process  aids  materially  in  collecting  the  thoughts  and  weld- 
ing them  into  coherent  sequences. 

Extreme  care  should  be  exercised  in  selection  of  sug- 
gested titles.  Far  better  to  omit  a  title  than  to  suggest 
silly,  meaningless  phrases  which  tend  to  place  the  editor 
in  an  antagonistic  frame  of  mind. 

I  can  offer  no  set  rule  for  the  creation  of  plot  material. 
It  all  depends  on  one's  imaginative  prowess;  the  natural 
gift  to  follow  the  trend  of  human  thought  and  to  observe 
and  describe  the  realities  which  govern  the  lives  of  people 
all  around  us. 

Speaking  from  a  business  viewpoint,  I  consider  the 
author  and  the  director  of  equal  importance  for  the  reasons 
that  the  public  is  continually  demanding  new  and  better 
plot  material,  and  likewise  demanding  more  finesse  and 
artistic  mastery  in  its  translation  to  the  screen. 

It  is  common  knowledge  that  many  well-written  and 
perfectly  visualized  stories  have  been  "chopped"  and  ren- 
dered almost  impossible  by  an  incompetent  director.  And, 
evening  up  the  score,  there  have  also  been  many  faulty, 
hackneyed  stories  which  have  been  renovated,  elaborated 
upon  and  made  into  very  fine  pictures  by  competent,  con- 
scientious directors. 

When  one  stops  to  consider  the  almost  fabulous  prices 
paid  today  for  stories  of  proven  merit  and  popularity,  and 
the  consequent  engagement  of  high-priced  directors  who 
are  capable  of  safeguarding  and  advancing  the  salient  dra- 
matic possibilities  of  the  story,  the  evidence  is  conclusive 
that  the  author  and  director  have  much  in  common ;  a  team 
of  brilliant  minds  which  lend  their  inspirations,  knowledge 
and  creative  genius  to  the  attainment  of  the  utmost  in 
artistic  achievement. 


62  Opportunities  in  the 

The  public,  too,  is  fast  realizing  the  importance  of  the 
author  and  the  director.  Personalities,  luxurious  settings, 
beautiful  photography  and  the  proper  presentation  of  the 
picture  are  all  necessary  to  the  successful  photodrama ;  but 
none  of  these  would  make  a  fine  picture  were  it  not  for 
the  silent  partners  of  the  silent  drama,  the  author  and  di- 
rector. 

These  are  my  personal  observations.  They  are  gleaned 
after  many  years  in  motion  picture  work — years  which 
have  been  passed  in  every  department  of  motion  picture 
producing.  If  I  have  conveyed  the  thought  of  the  relation 
of  the  producer  of  motion  pictures  to  his  audiences — I  shall 
feel  that  my  mission  in  writing  this  chapter  has  been 
fulfilled. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  63 


HOW  THE  CASTING  DIRECTOR  SELECTS  FACES, 
FORMS  AND  TYPES 

By  ROBERT  B.  McINTYRE 
Casting  Director,  Goldwyn  Pictures  Corporation 

IF  THERE  is  any  cog  in  the  divers  wheels  of  motion 
picture  production  that  has  been  overlooked  by  the 
world,  it  is  the  office  of  casting  director.  The  casting 

director  is  the  man  who  is  responsible  for  the  players 
who  enact  the  myriad  roles  in  the  photodrama.  His  is  a 
thankless  job,  one  beset  with  many  trials  and  annoyances. 
The  road  is  ever  rough  and  uphill,  because  he  has  so  many 
people  to  please. 

In  the  first  place,  the  man  who  selects  the  cast  must 
himself  be  an  artist,  actor,  author,  cameraman,  director, 
producer  and  keen  buyer.  The  public  does  not  realize  his 
enormous  task.  For  example,  Saturday  morning  he  is 
handed  a  story  to  cast  for  production  Tuesday,  using  players 
whose  salaries  must  not  exceed  a  certain  limitation.  So  his 
week-end  is  spent  reading  the  story  and  visualizing  its  char- 
acters. Early  Monday,  at  the  studio,  he  begins  a  process  of 
eliminative  selection  and  here  is  what  he  faces : 

He  must  engage  an  actor  to  fit  the  part  written  by  a 
temperamental  author.  The  actor  must  be  capable  of  por- 
traying the  role  to  suit  the  producer;  he  must  be  satisfac- 
tory to  the  director;  he  must  photograph  well,  and  his 
salary  must  come  within  the  budget.  If  it  is  a  character 
part,  the  casting  director  must  literally  see  this  actor  as  the 
character.  If  he  wants  a  Lon  Chancy,  and  Chancy  is  busy, 
then  his  task  is  a  big  one.  Often  have  I  looked  at  a  beard- 
less young  man,  when  I  had  a  part  in  mind  calling  for  a 
decrepit  old  man,  and  as  I  studied  his  features,  I  have 
actually  seen  whiskers,  gray  hair,  hollows  and  lines  appear 
on  and  about  his  face.  Call  it  inspiration,  imagination, 
visualization,  or  anything  you  wish.  This  has  happened  to 
me  time  and  again,  and,  invariably,  if  I  have  cast  the  person 
for  the  part,  he  has  made  a  great  success.  Cullen  Landis' 
instant  success  in  "The  Girl  from  Outside"  illustrates  this 
point. 


64  Opportunities  in  the 

The  casting  director  must  look  at  the  man  more  in  a 
psychological  way  than  in  a  physical  way,  because  man  is  ten 
per  cent  physical  and  ninety  per  cent  psychological,  or  sub- 
conscious. In  portraying  big  parts  it  is  this  other  man,  the 
mimic  man,  which  the  camera  catches  and  gives  us.  For  this 
reason,  then,  he  who  selects  the  actor  must  have  the  uncanny 
faculty  of  seeing  that  which  is  hidden  to  the  ordinary  eye ; 
the  man  behind  the  physical  man,  or  the  unseen  self.  Things 
are  not  what  they  seem.  That  is  why  we  have  to  penetrate 
the  apparent. 

"Earthbound"  offers  another  demonstration.  Wynd- 
ham  Standing  played  a  difficult  part  as,  perhaps,  no  other 
actor  could  have  done  it,  for  the  man  has  a  something  unde- 
finable — a  fleeting  expression — that  made  him  the  only  player 
to  enact  the  high  spiritual  character  called  for  by  Basil 
King. 

Again,  in  "The  Old  Nest,"  Mary  Alden  was  the  only 
woman  to  portray  that  wonderful  mother,  for  the  reason 
that  it  required  something  more  than  just  the  physical  equip- 
ment— it  necessitated  a  high  quality  of  mental  and  psycho- 
logical ability,  something  peculiarly  characteristic  of  Miss 
Alden.  She  has  the  breeding,  education,  experience  and 
reading  to  make  her  the  woman  of  highly  developed  men- 
tality which  she  is.  That  picture  attests  this  statement, 
because  her  wonderful  work  shines  forth  alone. 

Being  a  dealer  in  faces  and  forms,  the  man  who  selects 
players  must  understand  human  nature ;  must  know  how  to 
cast  the  proper  man  to  portray  a  Chesterfield,  and  likewise 
the  fellow  to  do  the  burglar's  bit. 

There  is  only  one  way  to  learn  the  world  and  its  people. 
It  is  to  study  them  by  travel,  contact,  keen  observation,  and 
recollection. 

I  have  been  a  close  student  of  human  nature  since 
before  my  early  days  on  the  stage  in  London.  Seven  years 
in  the  British  army,  extensive  travel  all  over  the  world,  gave 
me  much  time  for  this  absorbing  study.  Several  years  spent 
in  New  York  as  actor,  manager,  director,  and  author  have 
made  me  quite  familiar  with  all  types  of  humanity. 

The  more  intimately  one  knows  humanity,  the  better  one 
is  qualified  to  select  players,  for  he  knows  MEN  and  in- 
stantly recognizes  the  type  able  to  portray  a  required  char- 


Motion  Picture  Industry  65 

acter.    Therefore,  a  casting  director  should  be  a  man  of  the 
world. 

Of  course,  casting  office  files  contain  thousands  of  faces, 
and  records  even  more  detailed  than  the  criminologist's — so 
that  when  the  visualized  face  appears  on  the  mind-screen  of 
the  casting  director,  he  can  at  once  secure  this  data  by 
naming  the  person  or  the  type,  and  consulting  his  files. 

But  the  prime  requisite  of  the  casting  director  is  to  be 
able  to  imagine  the  character  in  real  life;  then  to  be  able 
to  pick  him  out.  Sometimes  he  scans  a  hundred  records, 
searching  the  faces  of  actors  whom  he  has  merely  seen  at  a 
distance  or  in  some  vital  part.  Then  suddenly  he  recog- 
nizes the  right  type.  Perhaps  an  obscure  personality  is 
engaged,  and  works  successfully.  Then  the  world  gets  a 
new  "star."  This  is  really  due  to  the  casting  director's 
keen  insight  into  human  nature  because  the  player  merely 
carried  out  the  idea  on  the  film.  Most  of  the  "new  faces" 
given  the  screen  are  discovered  by  the  casting  directors. 

However,  the  handy  little  picture  and  record  cannot  be 
relied  upon  entirely.  The  casting  director  must  have  a 
memory  as  extensive  as  the  war  office  files.  If  he  saw 
John  Doe  in  a  cheap  comedy  a  year  ago,  and  he  needs  his 
type,  he  must  be  able  to  call  him  for  the  part.  Likewise  if 
he  sees  an  extra  in  a  big  feature,  just  the  type  he  needs  for 
a  part,  he  must  be  able  to  find  that  person.  The  casting 
director  digs  up  players  all  the  time.  He  presents  people 
who  have  neither  been  seen  nor  heard  of,  by  a  director ;  a 
man  who  will  exactly  fit  the  part  in  question.  And  that 
task  is  not  easy. 

The  prospective  casting  director  must  be  possessed  of 
a  very  good  memory.  He  should  attend  the  theatre  as  often 
as  possible,  making  mental  notes.  He  should  immediately 
transfer  to  his  office  files  every  character  or  type  that  is  new 
or  interesting.  Most  casting  directors  boast  of  a  library  of 
theatre  programs  wherein  are  scribbled  notes  about  certain 
of  the  characters  whose  names  appear  in  them. 

At  any  rate,  it  can  be  seen  by  anyone  thinking  of  break- 
ing into  the  movies  via  the  route  of  the  casting  director's 
department,  that  the  one  great  requisite  is  to  be  able  to 
pick  a  type  as  the  right  type  for  the  role  that  is  desired 
to  fill.  This  sounds  easier  than  it  really  is. 


• 


HOW  THEY  BROKE  IN 

By  THE  EDITOR 

T  T  O W  did  D.  W.  Griffith  break  into  the  movies  ?" 
I — I  I  have  been  asked  that  question  often.  "How 
m.  JL  did  he?"  It's  an  interesting  story.  First  of 
all,  David  Wark  Griffith  did  his  first  bit  of 
motion  picture  work  in  the  old  Edison  Studio,  in  New  York 
City.  One  day  J.  Searle  Dawley,  one  of  the  very  first 
men  to  hold  the  Director's  megaphone,  was  directing  a  story 
called  "The  Eagle's  Nest."  In  those  days  it  was  not  an 
easy  thing  to  secure  motion  picture  players  to  fill  the  parts. 
Mr.  Dawley  was  searching  for  a  mountaineer  type  who 
could  take  one  of  the  roles  in  the  play. 

Down  the  street  on  which  the  Edison  studio  stood 
came  a  young  man ;  at  his  side,  his  wife.  What  his  thoughts 
were  as  he  sauntered  along  none  but  himself  can  know. 
But  thousands  of  motion  picture  "fans"  should  be  grateful 
that  David  Wark  Griffith  was  then  out  of  employment  and 
ready  to  grasp  at  anything. 

He  was  destined  to  lead  many  players  to  fame  and 
fortune.  It  was  he  who  introduced  Mary  Pickford  to  the 
screen.  Lillian  and  Dorothy  Gish,  too,  came  under  his  ex- 
pert guidance.  Mae  Marsh  was  led  to  greatness  and  Richard 
Barthelmess  made  a  place  for  himself  in  the  hearts  of  count- 
less fans  while  answering  the  commands  of  that  man's 
megaphone.  Many  others  took  their  place  on  the  screen 
horizon,  directed  to  stellar  honors  by  his  genius. 

Into  the  old  Edison  studio  he  tramped  in  search  of 
work.  The  moment  Mr.  Dawley  saw  him,  he  knew  that 
he  would  fill  the  role  perfectly.  So,  D.  W.  Griffith  made 
his  start  in  motion  pictures — not  so  differently,  you  see, 
from  the  way  you,  yourself,  might  have  broken  in,  and  with 
far  less  knowledge  of  the  art. 

That  first  memorable  picture  told  the  story  of  an  eagle 
swooping  down  upon  a  child,  picking  it  up  in  its  claws  and 
carrying  it  to  its  nest.  A  wild  story,  you  say.  True,  but 
remember  that  in  those  days  all  screen  stories  were  wild. 

67 


68  Opportunities  in  the 

Mr.  Griffith,  dressed  in  the  rough  attire  of  a  mountaineer, 
saved  the  child,  and  it  is  related  that  his  battle  with  the 
(stuffed)  eagle  was  an  epic  of  realism.  Indeed,  his  work 
was  second  only  to  the  mastery  displayed  by  Mr.  Dawley  in 
the  direction  of  the  scene. 

It  might  interest  you  to  know  that  in  those  early  days 
of  the  screen,  Mr.  Griffith  not  only  acted  and  directed,  but 
wrote  scenarios  as  well.  Mr.  Griffith  received  $15  for  the 
first  scenario  he  sold,  and  only  recently  paid  $15  plus  $149,- 
985  for  the  play,  "Way  Down  East." 

Mr.  Griffith  stayed  on  at  the  Edison  studio  for  a  short 
time,  both  he  and  his  wife  working  in  other  productions. 
That's  the  story  back  of  D.  W.  Griffith's  "Breaking  Into 
the  Movies."  So  splendid  has  been  his  work  since  that  day 
— so  wonderful  his  contributions  to  the  screen  art,  that  there 
is  no  need  of  telling  any  more  about  the  master. 

How  did  all  the  actors  and  actresses  get  started — how 
did  they  break  into  the  movies?  Mae  Murray,  Alice  Cal- 
houn,  Hope  Hampton,  Lillian  Gish,  Bert  Lytell,  Corinne 
Griffith,  Viola  Dana? 

"Yes,"  you  all  chorus,  "how  did  they  get  started?" 

Dainty  little  Alice  Calhoun,  Vitagraph  star,  owes  her 
success  to  the  hardest  kind  of  work.  Here  was  a  girl,  at- 
tending a  school  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  her  native  city.  Mau- 
rice Costello  was  her  childhood  hero — he  of  old  Vitagraph 
fame.  Her  great  desire  was  to  play  a  leading  part  opposite 
the  popular  Costello.  How  was  she  to  achieve  her  dream  ? 
First  of  all,  she  set  about  studying  the  screen  art.  How, 
you  ask  ?  Why,  through  the  greatest  school  ambitious  peo- 
ple have.  She  never  missed  the  screening  of  a  new  picture 
at  her  local  theatre.  When  she  had  seen  a  particularly  good 
picture  she  did  not  say  "I  liked  that  play,"  or  "That  was  a 
good  story."  No,  her  interest  centered  in  the  work  of 
the  screen  players.  Even  in  very  bad  pictures  she  was  able 
to  distinguish  good  pieces  of  acting  by  members  of  a  cast. 
She  gained  something  from  every  picture. 

Medical  students  are  required  to  listen  to  hundreds  of 
long  lectures  by  prominent  physicians  and  surgeons.  Why 
shouldn't  motion  picture  students  be  required  to  go  through 
a  similar  course  of  "lectures"?  For  them  the  "lectures" 


Motion  Picture  Industry  69 

must  naturally  take  the  form  of  characterizations  done  be- 
fore their  very  eyes  on  the  screen. 

I  know  a  girl  who  wanted  to  play  certain  types.  She 
was  not  pretty.  But  she  knew  that  she  could  play  the  types 
she  had  in  mind  far  more  effectively  than  any  pretty  girl 
could.  She  read  all  the  comments  about  the  various  pictures. 
Then,  when  the  pictures  came  to  her  town,  she  went  to 
see  them  and  paid  absolutely  no  attention  to  the  unfolding 
of  the  screen  story.  All  her  interest  was  centered  upon 
the  character  she  was  studying.  A  clearer  understanding  of 
technique  came  to  her,  and  today  she  is  well  known  to  you. 
Only  recently  she  had  a  very  prominent  part  in  a  very  good 
picture,  and  as  I  was  watching  it  screened,  the  lady  sitting 
next  to  me  said  to  her  companion :  "That  girl  must  surely 
be  a  born  actress !" 

A  born  actress  she  was,  just  as  thousands  of  you  girls 
are.  But  she  knew  the  work  for  which  she  was  best  adapted, 
and  she  knew  that  to  succeed  in  it  she  would  have  to  study 
the  work  of  those  who  had  preceded  her  and  had  already 
secured  a  firm  foothold.  This  she  did,  and  finally  satisfied, 
she  made  application  for  work.  She  was  not  greeted  with 
any  particularly  effusive  welcome.  In  fact,  she  was  told 
that  there  was  nothing  for  her.  Determined  to  get  started, 
she  took  a  bit  of  a  part  that  happened  to  be  open,  and  while 
engaged  in  it  took  every  occasion  to  study  her  fellow  players' 
technique.  That  was  not  so  long  ago,  and  today  we  find 
her  name  quite  often  lettered  upon  the  screen  as  the  char- 
acters of  the  play  are  introduced. 

Just  as  this  girl  achieved  a  measure  of  success,  so  has 
Alice  Calhoun.  But  Alice  was  a  bit  more  fortunate.  She 
was  adapted  to  play  sweet  roles,  typical  of  young  American 
girlhood.  Hers  was  a  much  greater  opportunity  for  screen 
stardom  than  came  to  the  girl  I  told  you  about.  And  Miss 
Calhoun,  alive  to  every  opportunity,  was  hardly  in  the 
studio  when  all  the  studying  she  had  done  in  her  theatre- 
screen-school  began  to  tell.  Soon  she  was  cast  for  im- 
portant roles.  And  now  she  is  the  youngest  star  of  the 
screen.  Alice  Calhoun !  What  a  wonderful  example  for 
all  young  folks  thinking  of  a  screen  career. 


70  Opportunities  in  the 

4 

There  are  no  frills  to  Alice  Calhoun.  Her  mind  is  not 
fixed  on  a  daily  round  of  pleasures.  It's  work  for  her,  and 
plenty  of  it.  She  knows  that  the  star  of  today  is  not  neces- 
sarily the  star  of  tomorrow.  To  gain  a  foothold  she  must 
work  hard.  She  knows  it,  and  is  doing  it  She  does  not 
think,  because  the  Vitagraph  management  has  seen  fit  to 
advance  her  to  stardom,  that  she  knows  it  all.  Her  mother 
still  is  her  best  friend  and  adviser.  Alice  came  to  New 
York  and  gained  an  opportunity  in  a  small  part  in  a  Vita- 
graph  production,  and  only  by  her  honest  efforts  has  she 
advanced  to  her  present  position  in  the  movie  world. 

I  do  not  advocate  that  you  should  leave  your  home, 
especially  if  you  are  a  girl.  Don't  do  it  unless  you  have 
the  full  consent  of  your  parents.  If  your  mother  can  ac- 
company you,  so  much  the  better.  Or  possibly  you  have 
a  sister  who  could  go  with  you.  Katherine  MacDonald 
came  to  Hollywood  to  be  with  her  sister,  and  in  that  way 
secured  her  opportunity.  If  you  feel  that  you  are  qualified 
to  make  progress  in  motion  picture  work  you  will  naturally 
have  to  migrate  to  where  the  studios  are  located.  But 
take  my  advice,  be  careful.  Don't  imagine  that  you  alone 
will  leave  the  train  at  Hollywood,  or  New  York,  in  search 
of  a  motion  picture  career.  Remember  that  the  same  train 
that  carries  you  to  your  destination  will  carry  many  others 
also  in  quest  of  a  movie  career. 

Bert  Lytell,  for  instance,  gained  his  place  on  the  screen 
only  after  many  years  of  hard  work  as  the  leading  man  of 
his  stock  company,  playing  in  up-state  New  York  cities. 
He  is  one  of  the  screen's  greatest  male  performers  by  right 
of  the  fact  that  his  entire  life  has  been  spent  in  the  theatrical 
world. 

But,  then,  there  are  boys  like  Tom  Douglas,  a  Louis- 
ville lad,  who  came  to  New  York,  and  to  use  his  own  words, 
"stuck  around"  until  he  found  his  opportunity.  What  he 
has  done  since  then  is  known  to  you  all. 

Viola  Dana  also  was  a  child  of  the  theatre.  And  still 
she  will  tell  you:  "I  always  was  enthusiastic  about  the 
screen.  As  a  child  I  used  to  beg  mother  to  take  me  to  the 
movies.  I  remember  that  when  I  had  done  particularly 
well  at  rehearsals  of  the  legitimate  parts  I  was  then  playing, 


Motion  Picture  Industry  71 

she  would  reward  me  by  allowing  me  to  make  the  rounds 
of  the  movie  houses  in  the  neighborhood.  I  would  tramp 
from  one  to  the  other  fascinated,  and  always  I  marveled  at 
the  wonderful  character  work  I  saw.  Finally,  after  I 
thought  I  knew  something  about  the  work,  I  begged  very 
hard  to  be  given  a  chance.  More  out  of  curiosity  than 
anything  else,  I  am  sure,  mother  took  both  me  and  my  little 
sister,  known  to  you  as  Shirley  Mason,  down  to  the  Edison 
studio,  and  because  of  my  previous  stage  experience  I  was 
given  a  part  in  a  picture  about  to  be  produced.  Well,  I 
won't  say  what  the  result  was,  but  I  do  know  that  I  am 
awfully  glad  that  I  went  to  the  studio.  With  all  the  ex- 
perience I  had  on  the  legitimate  stage,  I  knew  that  there 
was  a  great  deal  for  me  to  learn  about  the  silent  drama,  so 
I  did  not  make  my  application  until  I  had  taught  myself 
some  of  the  rudiments  of  the  work  by  a  constant  study  of 
the  screen.  That  is  my  advice  to  everyone  seeking  to 
break  into  the  movies." 

Corinne  Griffith  won  a  beauty  contest,  but  she  was  a 
wise  girl.  She  knew  that  beauty  alone  did  not  make  her 
suitable  timber  for  screen  stardom.  What  did  she  do  ?  Did 
she  sign  the  first  contract  offered  her  by  enthusiastic  di- 
rectors? No.  Corinne  set  about  the  task  of  studying  for 
the  career  the  winning  of  a  southern  beauty  contest  had 
opened  for  her.  Her  station  in  life  permitted  her  to  travel 
extensively,  and  when  on  a  trip  to  Los  Angeles,  she  spent 
much  time  as  the  guest  of  various  motion  picture  people 
she  knew  at  the  studios.  Hours  were  spent  by  beautiful 
Miss  Griffith  watching  famous  directors  put  their  stars 
through  their  paces,  and  when  finally  she  felt  that  she  had 
a  real  understanding  of  the  art,  she  accepted  one  of  the 
numerous  contracts,  and  in  only  a  few  short  years  she 
has  become  a  universal  screen  favorite. 

And  Hope  Hampton!  There  is  a  shining  example  of 
what  it  means  to  know  your  task  before  you  tackle  it. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  about  her  wondrous  beauty. 
She  IS  beautiful,  on  or  off  the  screen.  Offers  were  made 
to  her  by  many  big  producing  companies.  But  none  attracted 
her.  Hope  knew  that  to  gain  the  major  share  of  success 
she  would  have  to  develop  herself.  A  small  legacy  left  her 


72  Opportunities  in  the 

by  an  aunt  served  as  a  nucleus  for  the  expenses  of  a  trip 
abroad.  Miss  Hampton  knew  that  she  could  wear  clothes 
well.  Then  why  not  specialize  in  roles  where  she  would 
have  that  opportunity  ?  So  she  set  out  for  Paris,  and  it  was 
only  after  she  had  studied  the  art  of  wearing  clothes  that 
she  came  back  and  accepted  the  offer  of  a  large  producer 
to  star  in  his  pictures.  The  first  play  was  filmed,  and  it 
most  certainly  showed  a  creditable  effort.  In  it  was  re- 
flected many  months  of  hard  study.  All  the  stars  of  the 
screen,  known  for  their  smartness  and  ability  to  wear 
clothes,  came  in  for  a  series  of  observations  by  Hope — then 
when  she  appeared  on  the  screen  for  the  first  time  the  result, 
from  a  showpoint,  was  a  huge  success. 

But  Hope  was  clever  beyond  her  years.  She  knew  the 
public  cared  more  for  honest  dramatic  ability  than  for 
dressed-up  dolls.  So  Hope,  sensing  this  immediately  she 
had  seen  her  first  picture,  asked  her  friends  for  honest 
criticism.  One  and  all  complimented  her  on  her  wonderful 
gowns,  but  all  forgot  to  mention  her  ability  to  enact  the 
role  she  played.  Then  and  there  she  determined  to  give 
them  real  human  characters,  and  with  the  formation  of 
Hope  Hampton  Productions,  she  was  given  the  opportunity 
to  choose  her  own  stories  and  roles.  It  was  a  lucky  day 
for  Hope  Hampton  when  this  choice  was  granted  her. 
Since  then  she  has,  through  constant  study,  mastered  the 
trick  of  giving  to  the  screen, all  the  histrionic  talent  which 
really  was  hers  from  the  very  beginning,  and  quite  wisely 
now  this  dear  girl — she  is  quite  young,  you  know — refuses 
to  play  a  part  wherein  she  is  asked  to  do  anything  that  is 
impossible  to  conceive  as  connected  with  real  life  conditions. 
Hope  Hampton,  indeed,  is  a  wonderful  example  for  all  of 
you  who  think  you  know  something  about  how  a  motion 
picture  role  should  be  played. 

Lillian  Gish  once  told  me  that  the  only  way  she  really 
could  do  the  best  work  was  for  her  to  concentrate  so  com- 
pletely on  the  role  she  was  playing  that  during  the  months 
she  is  engaged  in  making  a  picture  she  lives  as  nearly  as 
possible  the  role  she  is  playing. 

Imagine  that!  And  you  thought  that  the  life  of  a 
motion  picture  star  was  one  round  of  pleasure  after  an- 


Motion  Picture  Industry  73 

other.  Yet  here  is  one  of  the  screen's  greatest  stars  denying 
herself  every  form  of  pleasure  during  the  many  weeks  it 
takes  to  make  a  picture  just  so  that  you  may  see  her  portray 
the  roles  she  depicts  in  life-like  fashion.  I  visited  Miss 
Gish  out  at  the  Griffith  Studio,  in  Mamaroneck,  New  York, 
while  she  was  making  "Way  Down  East."  Much  inquiry 
finally  found  her  seated  in  a  little  rustic  pergola,  intent  upon 
the  reading  of  the  story  of  this  wonderful  picture.  I  was 
almost  afraid  to  intrude,  and  was  ready  to  turn  about  and 
leave  when  she  spied  me,  and  with  that  wonderful  hospital- 
ity so  characteristic  of  all  the  Gishes,  she  invited  me  to 
share  the  charming  spot  where  she  had  secluded  herself. 

To  my  query  as  to  just  how  she  amused  herself  in  her 
off  hours,  Lillian  answered,  "You  may  be  a  bit  surprised 
to  learn  that  while  I  am  working  on  a  picture  I  really  never 
indulge  in  such  luxuries  as  the  theatre,  parties,  or  amuse- 
ments of  any  kind.  I  believe  that  it  is  necessary  to  con- 
centrate fully  on  just  what  I  am  doing.  To  portray  properly 
the  type  of  roles  I  am  called  upon  to  play  by  Mr.  Griffith, 
I  simply  must  live  the  parts,  so'I  shut  myself  up  and  just 
give  all  of  my  time  and  attention  to  studying  every  detail 
about  the  character. 

"I  do  not  find  it  a  hardship,  for  I  love  my  work,  and 
as  each  new  characterization  is  flashed  upon  the  screen, 
if  I  have  pleased  my  friends,  I  feel  amply  rewarded  for 
the  work  I  have  done.  I  believe  that  motion  picture  stars 
owe  a  great  deal  to  their  public.  My  friends  will  always 
get  the  very  best  there  is  in  me  if  hard  work  will  bring  it 
out.  One  thing  is  certain — if  you  would  succeed  in  the 
movies  you  should  prepare  yourself  for  some  very,  very 
hard  work." 

My  idea  in  telling  you  all  this  is  to  impress  upon  you 
the  fact  that  no  star  of  the  screen  simply  stepped  into  his 
or  her  place  over  night.  It  simply  is  not  done.  "Pull"  does 
not  count — any  more!  Picture  producing  is  too  costly  to 
allow  a  personal  favorite  to  play  a  role,  when  someone 
else  could  do  it  to  better  advantage. 

So,  if  you  would  break  into  the  movies,  be  prepared 
to  work  very  hard  and  prepare  yourself  by  studying  your- 
self before  you  make  your  application.  Determine  just  what 


74  Opportunities  in  the 

you  could  do  best,  and  direct  all  your  efforts  along  those 
lines. 

The  story  of  how  Kathryn  McGuire  broke  into  the 
movies — and  how  she  is  going  higher  and  higher — is  espe- 
cially interesting  because  it  is  the  normal  story  of  talent's 
progress  in  the  screen  world.  It  is  a  tale  of  definite  pur- 
pose, earnest  effort  and  continuous  accomplishment. 

Kathryn  McGuire  came  to  California  at  an  early  age — 
she  is  barely  eighteen  today — and  went  to  the  Hollywood 
High  School ;  at  the  same  time  she  studied  assiduously  at 
Ernest  Belcher's  dancing  school,  for  her  early  ambitions 
were  terpsichorean.  During  one  of  her  exhibition  per- 
formances, she  was  seen  by  Thomas  H.  Ince  and  engaged 
to  do  a  dance  in  one  of  his  then  forth-coming  pictures,  star- 
ring Dorothy  Dalton.  Her  work  soon  secured  her  similar 
jobs  with  other  producers,  including  Universal,  Metro  and 
Mack  Sennett. 

It  was  at  the  famous  comedy  studio  that  she  definitely 
entered  the  film  field.  At  first  only  as  an  extra  girl,  with 
a  guarantee  of  four  days  a  week  at  five  dollars  a  day.  Soon 
she  was  promoted  to  a  position  in  the  Sennett  Stock  Com- 
pany at  a  salary  which  began  at  forty  dollars  a  week. 
Superlative  performances,  of  improving  quality,  elevated 
her  to  a  salary  higher  than  her  contract  originally  called 
for,  and  she  was  featured  in  the  group  of  players  who  ap- 
peared in  the  leading  roles  of  Sennett's  multi-reel  produc- 
tions. Like  several  other  beauties  who  were  "discovered" 
at  this  studio  she  has  now  graduated  into  the  ranks  of 
dramatic  photoplayers. 

A  fruitful  career,  especially  interesting  for  the  brief 
space  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  Kathryn  McGuire  was 
just  one  of  the  extra  girls  on  the  lot,  and  for  the  normal 
line  of  her  progress !  "It  is  only  fitting  and  proper  as  well 
as  the  usual  rule,  for  a  beginner  to  enter  the  screen  field  as 
an  extra,"  says  Miss  McGuire,  "and  it  is  the  best  way,  too — 
she  becomes  familiar  with  studio  routine,  make-up  and  all 
the  details  of  film  technique.  Once  the  casual  extra  makes 
good,  the  next  step  in  the  normal  course  of  events  is  the 
extra  contract  with  a  minimum  guarantee  per  week.  Then 


Motion  Picture  Industry  75 

comes  the  stock  engagement — if  the  player  is  lucky,  talented 
and  a  consistent  performer.  And  lastly,  the  playing  of  leads 
or  character  roles  of  importance,  either  with  one  producing 
organization  or  several,  picture  by  picture.  The  final  step 
is  stardom — although  the  present-day  vogue  of  all-star  and 
special  productions  tends  to  break  away  from  the  old-time 
plays  featuring  the  individual  artist." 

Practically  all  of  the  players  in  pictures  who  have  made 
their  mark  have  passed  through  the  various  stages  pointed 
out  in  the  career  of  Kathryn  McGuire ;  I  have  selected  her 
career  as  an  illustration  here  because  of  the  speed  with 
which  she  has  mounted  step  by  step.  She  is  typical  of 
the  young  American  girl  whose  possession  of  intelligence, 
dramatic  talent,  and  personality,  in  addition  to  beauty,  en- 
ables her  to  go  rapidly  up  the  ladder. 

Another  example  of  the  girl  who  has  risen  to  stardom 
by  her  own  efforts  in  the  studio  is  Marie  Prevost.  Originally 
one  of  the  Sennett  Bathing  Girls,  this  winsome  maiden  was 
first  noticed  on  account  of  her  rare  charm.  She  was  given 
more  important  parts,  and  rose  in  an  amazingly  short  time, 
until  now  her  name  in  electric  lights  is  blazoned  across  the 
entrance  of  theatres  all  over  the  country,  proclaiming  her 
a  star  in  Universal  pictures. 

And  all  the  other  stars — how  did  they  all  break  in? 

Below,  there  is  a  list  of  screen  stars  with  a  word  or 
two  telling  how  each  film  favorite  broke  into  the  movies. 
In  each  sentence  there  is  a  story  in  human  interest. 

Thomas  Meighan,  Elliott  Dexter  and  William  Farnum 
got  their  early  training  on  the  stage. 

Rudolph  Valentino  danced  in  the  cabarets. 

Mary  Miles  Minter  was  another  infant  actress. 

Gloria  Swanson,  May  McAvoy  and  Gladys  Leslie  went 
right  from  the  schoolroom  to  the  studio. 

Mae  Murray  was  in  the  "Follies." 

Nita  Naldi,  Bebe  Daniels  and  Dorothy  Dalton  deserted 
the  speaking  stage. 

Tom  Mix  found  screen  work  more  interesting  than 
"rough  riding." 

After  eighteen  years,  James  Kirkwood  left  the  legiti- 
mate stage. 


76  Opportunities  in  the 

Stock  and  vaudeville  experience  gave  Priscilla  Dean 
her  early  training.  Ethel  Clayton  also  started  her  career 
in  stock. 

Mae  Marsh  came  from  the  convent. 

Shirley  Mason,  from  the  stage. 

Billie  Burke  won  her  laurels  as  a  legitimate  actress. 

Lila  Lee  and  Betty  Compson  were  vaudeville  per- 
formers. 

Editorial  work — vaudeville  acting — then  the  movies — 
for  Wallace  Reid. 

Virginia  Brown  Faire  was  the  winner  of  the  1919  Fame 
and  Fortune  Contest  that  brought  Anetha  Getwell  into  the 
movies. 

Sessue  Hayakawa  was  a  success  on  the  speaking  stage. 

Theodore  Roberts'  stage  career  was  long  and  varied. 

Wesley  Barry's  contagious  grin  got  him  small  parts 
on  the  screen  right  from  the  start. 

Francis  X.  Bushman  studied  sculpture,  posed  as  an 
artist's  model,  and  tried  the  stage  before  he  chose  the  mo- 
tion pictures. 

Carlyle  Blackwell  gained  valuable  experience  playing 
in  stock. 

Clara  Kimball  Young  made  her  stage  debut  at  the  age 
of  three. 

Marguerite  Courtot  was  a  model  for  children's  clothes. 

Eugene  O'Brien  could  sing  and  dance  and  act  all  at  once 
when  he  was  in  musical  comedy. 

Jack  Pickford  did  the  "juvenile"  in  stock. 

Anita  Stewart  graduated  from  a  fashionable  finishing 
school  and  broke  right  into  the  movies  as  a  star. 

Muriel  Ostriche,  too,  came  fresh  from  the  schoolroom. 

Mary  Pickford,  when  she  was  three  years  old,  was  an 
actress  in  stock. 

Charles  Ray  was  in  vaudeville,  musical  comedy,  and 
on  the  stage. 

William  S.  Hart  once  played  in  the  same  company  with 
Mme.  Modjeska. 

Earle  Williams  and  Milton  Sills  started  on  the  legiti- 
mate stage. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  77 

Douglas  Fairbanks  made  them  laugh  in  vaudeville. 

Alice  Joyce  started  as  a  switchboard  operator. 

Courtenay  Foote  was  a  civil  engineer  before  he  tried 
the  stage. 

Ruth  Roland  was  a  stage  child;  she  started  her  career 
right  after  her  third  birthday. 

Pearl  White  used  to  recite  Shakespeare. 

Constance  Talmadge,  as  an  extra,  earned  $3  for  her 
first  day's  work  in  the  studio. 

Charles  Chaplin  was  on  the  stage. 

Farrar  sang  "Carmen"  for  many  years  in  grand  opera 
before  she  made  her  first  picture  from  that  famous  story. 

Constance  Binney  studied  dancing. 

Olga  Petrova  was  a  favorite  in  the  English  music  halls. 

Jackie  Coogan  was  in  vaudeville  when  Charles  Chaplin 
"discovered"  him. 

Richard  Barthelmess  was  a  student  in  Trinity  College, 
Hartford,  Connecticut. 

David  Powell  was  a  broker  before  the  movies  drew 
him  from  the  Exchange. 

Antonio  Moreno  left  the  stage  to  enter  moving  pictures. 
Mrs.  Sidney  Drew  was  an  entertainer  in  vaudeville. 

George  Walsh  found  the  movies  more  interesting  than 
law. 

Louise  Fazenda  was  a  headliner  in  a  stock  company. 

Norma  Talmadge  was  just  a  little  school  girl  with  no 
experience  at  all. 

Another  artist's  model  who  became  a  heroine — Helen 
Holmes. 

Hazel  Dawn  was  singing  in  musical  comedies. 

The  camera  lured  May  Allison,  Elsie  Ferguson,  Leah 
Baird  and  Mabel  Julienne  Scott  from  the  stage. 

Nazimova  had  seen  her  name  in  the  electric  lights  of 
Broadway  before  she  deserted  the  stage  for  the  studio. 


78  Opportunities  in  the 

Grace  Darling  can  write  as  well  as  act — she  used  to 
be  a  newspaper  reporter. 

Lois  Wilson  taught  school. 

June  Elvidge  sang  in  concert. 

Bruce  McRae  was  an  actor  on  the  legitimate  stage 
seventeen  years  before  he  thought  of  breaking  into  the 
movies. 

Bessie  Love  started  her  career  as  a  humble  extra. 

Harry  Morey  was  an  actor  on  the  legitimate  stage. 

Marguerite  Clark  was  a  well-known  star  on  the  legiti- 
mate stage. 

Marin  Sais  was  an  expert  horsewoman ;  she  rode  right 
into  the  movies. 

Alice  Brady  studied  for  grand  opera,  sang  in  musical 
comedy,  had  a  few  years'  experience  on  the  stage,  and  found 
she  liked  the  photodrama. 

Pauline  Starke  and  Wanda  Hawley  were  extras. 

Bessie  Barriscale  learned  to  act  in  the  legitimate  drama. 

Theda  Bara  was  a  screen  star  from  the  first  day  she 
broke  in. 

George  Beban  gained  his  first  experience  as  a  Negro 
minstrel. 

John  and  Lionel  Barrymore  were  actors  on  the  stage. 
Marjorie  Daw  had  no  experience  at  all ;  she  was  given 
small  parts  at  first  and  gradually  rose  to  stardom. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  79 

SUDDEN    STARS 

By  ROB  WAGNER 

Editor's  Note:  Author  of  "Film  Folk"  (Century  Company);  known  to 
millions  for  his  series  of  motion  picture  articles  in  The  Saturday 
Evening  Post;  creator  of  Charles  Ray  and  Douglas  Fairbanks  scenarios, 
and  recognized  as  one  of  the  screen's  greatest  authorities. 

PERHAPS  the  most  popular  theme  of  all  fiction  writ- 
ers is  that  of  the  young  maiden  who  moves  around 
with  a  pent-up  urge  to  act  but  who  for  seventeen 
chapters  is  denied  the  chance,  and  then  one  day  the 
leading  lady  stubs  her  toe,  Violet  dashes  onto  the  stage, 
does  a  couple  of  front  flips,  and  lands  among  the  stars. 

The  reason  of  the  popularity  of  that  particular  theme 
is  that  every  one  of  us  has  a  dash  of  Violet  in  us.  What 
is  art  anyway  but  an  emotional  expression,  possible  to  any- 
one with  the  necessary  emotions? 

That  there  is  a  technic  of  long  apprenticeship  to  all 
the  arts  seems  never  to  occur  to  the  mute  inglorious  Mil- 
lies who  sob  over  Juliet  and  believe  they  could  set  rhe 
world  afire  in  that  immortal  role  if  only  given  a  chunce. 

We  stand  in  awe  of  the  technic  that  can  build  a 
bridge  or  remove  a  tumor — but  Art!  I  have  seen  many 
students  of  drawing  who  complained  tearfully  because 
they  were  set  to  work  drawing  bricks  and  ash-cans.  No, 
they  wished  to  do  "pretty  girls" — Harrison  Fisher  covers. 
They  preferred  to  begin  at  the  top  and  work  backwards. 

Nowhere  in  all  the  arts  is  the  necessity  for  technic 
more  manifest  than  in  the  motion  picture.  It  looks  so 
easy !  But  the  fact  is,  the  easier  it  looks — the  simpler  and 
more  natural  the  actions — the  more  headaches  lie  behind 
the  making  of  the  scene. 

There  is  a  popular  superstition  that  most  of  our 
great  stars  appeared  over  night.  Soulful  Sadie,  plus  op- 
portunity, and  presto ! — Stardom.  Such,  however,  is  far 
from  the  truth.  The  cases  of  instantaneous  success  are 
so  few  as  to  be  negligible.  And  when  we  do  fine1  one,  such 
as  Chaplin,  who  was  a  hit  in  his  first  picture,  we  learn  upon 
investigation  that  the  boy  had  an  amazing  preparation. 

Figuratively  born  on  the  stage — his  father  and  mother 
having  been  successful  music-hall  artists — Chaplin  was  a 


80  Opportunities  in  the 

success  at  his  premier  when  he  was  four  years  old.  At 
eleven  he  was  touring  England  in  a  dancing  act,  and  at 
sixteen  was  playing  with  Wm.  Gillette  in  Sherlock  Holmes, 
the  London  papers  preclaiming  him  the  "juvenile  wonder." 
At  eighteen  we  find  him  in  pantomime,  and  billed  through- 
out the  country  as  "The  funniest  man  in  England." 

No,  Charlie  Chaplin  is  no  accident  of  the  films.  He 
came  to  them  with  the  greatest  asset  possible — a  mastery 
of  pantomime. 

Mary  Pickford?  She  had  years  of  stage  training  and 
then  grew  up  in  the  pictures. 

Douglas  Fairbanks?  Long  stage  training  also.  And 
even  now,  in  his  ascendency,  he  employs  a  whole  "stable" 
of  wrestlers,  boxers  and  acrobats  to  keep  him  in  shape. 

Jackie  Coogan?  He  was  born  on  the  stage.  His 
father  and  mother  are  vaudeville  performers.  Then  Jackie 
was  directed  by  the  greatest  artist  the  films  have  produced. 

But  perhaps  the  most  shining  example  of  stardom 
achieved  by  hard  work  is  that  of  Charlie  Ray.  Coming 
from  the  stage  ten  years  ago,  he  has  put  in  those  ten  years 
with  hardly  a  let  up.  So  seriously  does  he  regard  his 
technic  that,  despite  his  great  success,  and  the  wealth  it 
has  brought  him,  he  has  never  until  this  fall  ( 1921 )  found 
time  to  take  a  vacation  of  over  a  few  days.  Think  of  one 
of  the  greatest  of  cinema  stars  who  has  never  seen  New 
York! 

Jack  Holt  is  another  who  only  today,  after  years  of 
hard  work,  has  been  elevated  to  stardom. 

What  then  are  the  technical  difficulties  that  lie  between 
ambition — or  the  mere  artistic  urge — and  stellar  success? 
Well,  first  of  all  comes  the  training  in  pantomime  that 
teaches  the  actor  to  register  instantly  every  given  emotion. 
And  not  by  gesticulating,  for  the  effect  must  often  be 
achieved  by  the  mere  raising  of  the  eyebrows.  In  the  early 
days  of  violent  action  "mugging"  and  heroics  got  by,  but 
now  in  the  close-ups  one  must  be  able  to  put  over  thought. 

Next,  is  the  knowledge  which  comes  only  by  great  ex- 
perience— in  the  use  of  make-up,  and  of  which  angle  and 
in  what  lighting  the  actor  can  get  the  best  effects.  Some 
actors  are  "right  banders"  and  some  "left  handers."  In 
other  words  one  side  photographs  better  than  the  other. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  81 

Mary  Pickford  decidedly  has  a  "good  side"  and  her  acting 
must  be  arranged  so  that  she  is  shot  from  this  angle.  Charlie 
Ray  has  to  be  careful  of  low  shots,  for  he  is  wide  across  the 
jaw  and  an  up-shot  is  likely  to  brutalize  his  expression. 

So  important  is  the  proper  photographic  recording  of 
one's  pantomime  that  many  film  stars  have,  and  keep,  their 
own  camera  men,  who  have  learned  through  long  experi- 
ence the  star's  physical  eccentricities. 

It  is  true  that  some  girls  with  the  help  of  intelligent 
direction  and  the  great  resources  of  a  big  studio  have  been 
able  to  achieve  stardom,  but  it  is  a  dangerous  and  expensive 
experiment.  The  case  of  Lila  Lee  is  eloquent  of  this  state- 
ment. Here  was  a  young  girl  who  had  been  in  vaudeville 
for  years.  She  was  pretty,  photographed  well,  and  appar- 
ently had  every  qualification  of  success — except  screen  train- 
ing. The  Famous  Players-Lasky  Company  decided  to 
launch  her  as  a  star.  She  was  given  good  stories,  able 
direction  and  the  whole  organization  was  put  behind  her. 
But  alas,  the  girl's  youth  and  lack  of  training  in  the  new 
technic  began  to  tell,  with  the  final  result  that  she  was  put 
back  into  stock,  there  to  remain  until  her  technic  justified 
stardom.  Better  by  far  to  start  modestly  than  to  "flivver" 
prematurely  at  the  top. 

No,  Millie,  even  though  you  know  you  could  drive  Mary 
off  the  screen,  if  you  only  had  a  chance,  there  is  no  short  cut 
to  stardom  in  any  of  the  arts.  You  must  be  able  to  draw 
ash-cans  ere  you  tackle  the  human  figure.  And  you  must 
begin  as  "atmosphere"  on  "a  dollar  extra"  if  you  wish  to 
become  a  star.  There  is  technic  to  art,  as  there  is  to  surgery, 
and  it  'must  be  learned.  It  looks  "easy"  because  it  is  one 
function  of  art  to  conceal  its  technic. 


MOTION   PICTURE   SALARIES:     WHAT  THE 
PLAYERS  REALLY  GET 

By  ALFRED  A.  COHN 

Former   Personal  Representative   of  Mary   Pi^kford 

WHAT  do  they  really  get? 
Ever  since  the  first  motion  picture  press  agent 
sent  forth  the  first  announcement  of  a  star  signed 
at  a  salary  of  more  than  three  figures,  this  question 
has  been  asked  by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  who 
have  delighted  in  watching  the  flickering  reflections  of  their 
favored  players. 

It  seemed  incredible  that  a  little  girl  still  in  her  teens 
should  be  getting  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  week,  the  salary  of 
the  president  of  the  United  States  until  a  few  years  ago. 
Half  a  decade  later  it  seemed  just  as  impossible  that  any- 
one at  all  in  the  whole  wide  world  should  be  getting  a  weekly 
pay  check  which  called  for  $10,000 — more  than  a  half  mil- 
lion a  year! 

So  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  that  the 
world  should  ask,  "What  do  they  really  get?" 

And  in  most  instances  they  really  got  what  the  papers 
said.  It  was  considered  good  publicity  at  the  time;  the 
picture  magnate  was  so  astounded  himself  at  paying  the 
enormous  amounts  run  up  by  competitive  bidding  that  he 
felt  that  he  must  take  advantage  of  the  publicity  the  news 
would  bring.  In  many  cases  he  found  it  very  bad  business, 
because  it  caused  other  less  fortunate  stars  and  players  to 
revise  their  salary  levels ;  in  many  others  he  found  that 
the  public  at  large  as  represented  by  the  newspapers  didn't 
believe  they  were  really  getting  what  the  producer  said 
he  was  paying. 

When  Charlie  Chaplin  made  his  then  unprecedented 
contract  with  the  Mutual  Film  Company  in  1915  calling  for 
a  salary  for  the  year  of  $670,000  and  checks  aggregating 
that  sum  were  placed  on  exhibition  to  prove  it,  only  those 
conversant  with  the  situation  really  believed  that  the  checks 
were  not,  as  charged  by  some  newspapers,  "phoney." 

83 


84  Opportunities  in  the 

This  was  the  high  mark  up  to  that  time  and  since  then  it 
has  been  equalled  in  only  about  a  half  dozen  instances. 

The  money  side  of  motion  pictures — the  material  re- 
wards to  those  who  played,  or  directed,  or  produced — is  the 
only  accurate  footrule  by  which  the  growth  of  the  business 
can  be  measured,  but  the  public  is  more  concerned  with 
the  remuneration  of  those  seen  on  the  screen  than  the 
others.  They  could  see  and  marvel.  They  were,  and  are, 
more  interested  in  the  fact  that  a  frail  little  fellow  recruited 
from  a  three-a-day  vaudeville,  and  before  that  a  waif  in 
London's  cheapest  quarters,  was  given  a  salary  amounting 
to  more  than  a  half  million  dollars  a  year  than  in  the  fact 
that  the  pictures  he  made  and  played  in  brought  the  pro- 
ducers more  than  $3,000,000. 

A  few  years  ago  there  were  more  big  salaries  than 
there  are  at  present,  not  because  of  the  downward  trend 
of  production  expenses  everywhere  but  because  of  the  fact 
that  the  cinema's  leading  celebrities  are  in  business  for  them- 
selves. Of  course  they  get  salaries.  Douglas  Fairbanks 
draws  a  check  for  $10,000  a  week  but  the  payer  of  the  check 
is  the  Douglas  Fairbanks  Corporation,  which  is  Douglas 
Fairbanks  himself.  And,  besides  the  salary,  he  gets  all 
that's  left  over  after  the  expenses  of  the  pictures  are  paid. 

The  same  holds  true  of  Mary  Pickford,  Charlie  Chap- 
lin, Bill  Hart — when  he  works — the  famous  Talmadge  sis- 
ters and  some  of  the  lesser  stars.  Madame  Nazimova,  after 
completing  a  highly  remunerative  contract  with  Metro,  re- 
cently joined  the  self -operating  stars  and  is  now  paying 
her  own  salary  from  the  receipts  of  her  pictures. 

It  was  little  Mary  Pickford  who  led  the  way  into  the 
"big  money."  It  was  back  in  1909  that  Mary's  mother  gave 
her  carfare — one  way — and  sent  her  to  the  old  Biograph 
studio  on  West  Fourteenth  Street,  New  York,  for  her  first 
day's  work  in  the  despised  movies,  for  which  she  received 
the  munificent  sum  of  $5.  That  was  top  money.  It  was  in 
June,  1909,  that  Mary  went  to  work  for  Biograph — her 
first  picture  was  "The  Violin  Maker  of  Cremona" — and  soon 
she  was  put  on  "easy  street"  with  a  guarantee  of  $35  a  week. 
She  rose  to  $80  a  week,  a  high  salary  for  a  star — although 
in  those  days  there  were  no  stars,  as  no  publicity  was  given 


Motion  Picture  Industry  85 

the  players — their  names  were  not  even  made  known.  All 
those  one-reel  days  she  was  with  Biograph  except  for  six 
months  with  the  Imp  Company. 

After  returning  to  the  stage  at  the  insistence  of  David 
Belasco  to  play  the  leading  role  in  "The  Good  Little  Devil," 
her  last  appearance  in  the  spoken  drama,  Mary  was  induced 
to  listen  to  a  proposition  from  Adolph  Zukor  and  Daniel 
Frohman,  founders  of  the  Famous  Players,  who  were  trying 
to  make  famous  plays  over  into  cinema  attractions  featuring 
well-known  stage  players.  The  salary  offered  was  $300  a 
week  and  Mr.  Belasco  was  persuaded  to  cancel  Mary's  con- 
tract. Famous  Players  had  paid  more  salary  than  that. 
Madame  Bernhardt,  for  instance,  received  more  to  play 
"Queen  Elizabeth,"  but  that  was  only  for  the  one  picture. 
But  no  one  was  getting  that  much  as  a  regular  weekly 
stipend. 

Less  than  three  years  later  Mary  Pickford's  name  was 
a  household  word  wherever  there  was  sufficient  electricity 
to  run  a  projection  machine.  Her  salary  was  $4,000  a  week. 
In  1916  she  signed  a  contract  once  more  with  Mr.  Zukor 
which  called  for  a  salary  of  $10,000  a  week.  It  was  even 
more  than  that,  because  the  $10,000  was  a  drawing  account 
against  fifty  per  cent  of  the  profits  of  the  Artcraft  Company 
which  was  organized  for  this  very  purpose.  This  brief 
history  of  Mary  Pickford  as  a  wage  earner  shows  the  re- 
markable advance  of  the  cinema  industry  as  a  provider  of 
unprecedented  financial  emoluments.  When  Mary's  contract 
expired  and  she  entered  into  business  for  herself  she  was 
a  millionaire,  and  then  some,  although  Uncle  Sam  had 
taken  heavy  toll  to  help  pay  for  wars  and  such. 

Take  the  progress  of  the  pay  envelope  at  the  Lasky 
studio.  In  1913  when  Cecil  DeMille,  "Dusty"  Farnum  and 
Jesse  Lasky  left  New  York  to  make  their  first  picture  in 
an  abandoned  Hollywood  garage,  they  had  a  total  bank 
account  of  $4,000.  The  business  manager,  Fred  Kley, 
still  an  executive  of  the  company,  drew  the  munificent  salary 
of  $25  a  week.  For  a  long  time  the  top  salary,  for  players 
whose  names  meant  a  great  deal  on  the  legitimate  stage, 
was  $90  weekly.  Extras  got  from  $1  to  $3  a  day  and  good 
actors  played  big  parts  for  $5  a  day.  Today  a  good  studio 


86  Opportunities  in  the 

electrician's  overtime  brings  his  weekly  check  up  over  the 
salary  drawn  by  the  star  in  1913. 

The  year  1915  really  marked  the  beginning  of  the 
salaries  which  have  made  newspaper  readers  gasp  and 
picture  magnates  dig  deep  into  their  coffers.  That  year 
saw  the  initiation  of  Douglas  Fairbanks  into  the  mysteries 
of  the  screen,  said  initiation  being  accompanied  at  a  record 
salary.  For  an  actor  to  whom  $500  weekly  represented 
the  ultimate  in  compensation  for  services  rendered,  an  offer 
of  $1,500  weekly  occasioned  no  great  degree  of  hesitation. 
Triangle  had  just  been  formed  with  D.  W.  Griffith,  Mack 
Sennett  and  Thomas  H.  Ince  at  the  three  corners  and  they 
were  out  to  control  the  business.  Previous  to  the  Fair- 
bank's  engagement,  Fine  Arts,  the  Griffith  side  of  the  Tri- 
angle, had  engaged  Sir  Herbert  Beerbohm  Tree  at  the 
princely  salary  of  $100,000  for  six  months  and  DeWolf 
Hopper  at  $75,000  for  one  year.  The  former  was  almost 
a  total  loss  as  his  "Macbeth"  was  promptly  shelved  and 
another  picture,  written  by  Rupert  Hughes,  did  not  get 
very  far.  Griffith  at  that  time  was  himself  drawing  but 
$1,000  weekly,  as  were  also  Messrs.  Ince  and  Sennett,  but  it 
was  in  each  instance  a  drawing  account  against  future 
profits. 

Getting  back  to  Fairbanks :  he  was  first  offered  a  one- 
picture  contract  at  $1,500  weekly.  When  the  first  picture 
was  completed  there  was  doubt  as  to  whether  the  ebullient 
stage  favorite  had  "gotten  over"  as  a  cinema  star.  How- 
ever, the  company  went  through  with  the  agreement  pre- 
viously made  and  he  signed  a  contract  for  three  years 
calling  for  $2,000  a  week  the  first  year,  $2,500  the  second 
and  $3,000  the  third.  Long  before  the  end  of  the  secorid 
year  when  Triangle  disintegrated,  Fairbanks,  who  had 
leaped  suddenly  into  fame,  went  with  Famous  Players  on 
a  contract  which  provided  him  a  salary  of  approximately 
$10,000  weekly.  He  made  his  own  pictures,  Famous  Play- 
ers-Lasky  taking  them  at  so  much  per  picture,  the  arrange- 
ment being  very  similar  to  Miss  Pickford's,  except  that 
Fairbanks  had  his  own  producing  organization. 

Among  other  Fine  Arts  players  was  Wallace  Reid. 
We  all  remember  him  as  the  husky  blacksmith  in  "The 
Birth  of  a  Nation,"  for  which  arduous  duties,  he  received 


Motion  Picture  Industry  87 

the  munificent  sum  of  $100  a  week.  He  had  gone  to  work 
for  Griffith  at  $75  a  week  some  time  previously.  Henry 
Walthall,  "The  Little  Colonel,"  at  $175  weekly  was  the 
salary  topliner  of  the  cast. 

The  following  year,  1915,  the  year  of  the  big  money, 
Jesse  Lasky  broke  into  the  limelight  with  an  offer  to 
Geraldine  Farrar  of  $40,000  for  three  pictures  to  consume 
a  total  working  time  of  eight  weeks,  or  $5,000  a  week. 
Much  was  printed  of  it.  Mr.  Lasky  at  that  time  made 
overtures  to  Wallie  Reid — there  was  no  gentleman's  agree- 
ment among  producers  then — and  although  Manager  Frank 
E.  Woods/ in  behalf  of  Mr.  Griffith,  offered  Wallie  more 
money,  he  decided  to  cast  his  lot  with  Lasky.  He  played 
the  role  of  "Don  Jose"  to  Farrar's  "Carmen"  for  $125  per 
week.  Wallie's  annual  salary  is  now  over  the  hundred 
thousand  mark. 

That  same  year  Thomas  H.  Ince  went  Lasky  one  better 
by  giving  Billie  Burke  the  sum  of  $40,000  for  her  first 
picture,  "Peggy."  Reduced  to  a  weekly  envelope,  it 
amounted  to  $8,000  per  Saturday,  as  they  were  five  weeks 
on  the  picture.  Some  time  previously  Mr.  Ince  had  broken 
all  existing  records  by  giving  Frank  Keenan  $1,000  a  week 
for  a  non-star  appearance  before  the  camera.  The  picture, 
as  recalled  by  the  writer,  was  "The  Coward"  and  it  laid 
the  foundation  for  Charley  Ray's  fame.  At  that  time 
Charley  was  getting  considerably  less  than  $100  a  week. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  Ray  did  not  get  up  in  the  $1,000  class 
until  some  years  later,  and  only  a  short  time  after  he 
launched  his  own  company  at  the  expiration  of  his  Ince 
contract. 

William  S.  Hart  at  that  time  was  getting  what  he 
considered  big  money,  $300.  It  was,  too,  for  an  actor  who 
was  beginning  to  think  he  had  outlived  his  usefulness  on 
the  stage  and  who  had  come  to  Ince,  his  old  pal  of  lean 
footlight  days,  for  camera  work  between  seasons  at  $125 
a  week.  No  one  could  have  foreseen  his  tremendous  suc- 
cess. In  1917,  when  Ince  broke  away  from  Triangle,  that 
company  sought  to  hold  Bill  Hart  and  each  week  the  cashier 
of  the  company  called  at  Bill's  apartment  in  Los  Angeles  and 
tendered  him  $7,000  in  gold  of  the  realm.  Each  time  Bill 
looked  on  the  pile  of  gold,  gulped  hard  and  turned  away. 


Opportunities  in  the 

That  was  what  Triangle  offered  him  to  stick  but  he  had 
given  his  word  to  Ince  to  follow  him.  His  total  fortune 
at  that  time,  he  told  me  then,  in  one  of  those  mellow  mo- 
ments over  the  last  tiny  after-dinner  glass,  was  $14,000,  all 
of  which  he  had,  on  the  prevalent  patriotic  impulse,  invested 
in  Liberty  bonds. 

Soon  after,  Ince  made  a  contract  with  Famous  Players 
for  a  series  of  eighteen  Bill  Hart  features  and  in  two  years, 
which  it  required  for  fulfillment,  Bill's  share  of  the  profits 
aggregated  almost  a  million  dollars.  Then  he  broke  with 
luce  and  made  a  series  for  Famous  Players  which,  it  is  said, 
netted  him  about  three-quarters  of  a  million — after  which  he 
laid  off  for  a  year  to  enjoy  life. 

Perhaps  the  most  successful  picture  of  its  kind  ever 
made,  so  far  as  popularity  and  theatre  drawing  power  are 
concerned,  was  Colonel  Selig's  pioneer  serial,  "The  Ad- 
ventures of  Kathlyn."  Kathlyn  Williams,  the  blonde  beauty 
who  starred  in  that  famous  episode  production,  got  the 
tremendous  salary  of  $75  a  week.  Now  she  gets  many 
times  that  amount.  That  same  year,  1913,  Colonel  Selig 
broke  into  the  cinema  firmament  with  another  record 
smasher,  "The  Spoilers,"  the  picturization  of  Rex  Beach's 
famous  novel.  To  get  the  services  of  William  Farnum,  who 
had  never  before  appeared  on  the  screen,  Selig  offered  him 
$10,000  to  appear  in  two  productions.  Farnum  got  the 
money  but  did  not  play  in  the  second  picture  for  Selig. 
Also  he  won  everlasting  fame  as  a  screen  performer.  This 
was  perhaps  the  greatest  amount  of  money  paid  a  player 
for  taking  part  in  a  production  up  to  that  time.  The  entire 
production  itself  did  not  cost  more  than  $30,000.  Picture 
making  was  fairly  cheap  in  those  days.  Farnum's  last 
contract  with  William  Fox  brought  him  close  to  a  million 
dollars  for  two  years'  work,  subject  to  some  claims  by  a 
greedy  government;  and  he  now  ranks  among  the  highest 
paid  stars  of  the  screen  who  work  under  a  stated  salary. 

As  a  salaried  worker  for  the  entertainment  of  the 
masses  and  the  classes,  the  list  is  topped,  just  at  this  writ- 
ing, by  Mary  Miles  Minter,  although  the  pictures  of  many 
other  stars  bring  much  larger  returns  to  the  coffers  of  the 
producers  than  those  of  this  little  blonde  celebrity.  In 
1920  Miss  Minter  signed  a  three-year  contract  with  Famous 


Motion  Picture  Industry  89 

Players-Lasky  through  its  subsidiary,  Realart,  calling  for 
a  salary  which  brings  her  something  like  $10,000  weekly. 
A  salary  of  $7,500  weekly  was  the  1920-21  salary  paid  by 
the  Robertson-Cole  Company  to  Pauline  Frederick,  who, 
with  Goldwyn,  drew  a  weekly  stipend  of  $4,000. 

Under  her  contract  with  Metro,  which  ended  with 
"Camille,"  Madame  Nazimova  received  a  stated  amount  per 
picture  which  was  paid  her  weekly,  when  working,  the  sum 
of  $13,000.  Quite  a  tidy  sum  with  which  to  keep  the  wolf 
from  the  door. 

Theda  Bara  never  got  beyond  $4,000  a  week,  but  she 
was  a  good  business  woman,  and  during  her  career  as  a 
William  Fox  star  she  amassed  a  fortune  of  more  than  half 
a  million.  In  her  first  picture,  "A  Fool  There  Was,"  the 
picture  that  made  her  the  sensation  of  a  sensationally  grow- 
ing business,  Miss  Bara  got  the  rather  meagre  salary  of 
$75  weekly — and  considered  herself  lucky  to  get  that  for 
her  first  screen  work. 

Among  others  who  have  drawn  weekly  salary  checks 
during  the  last  year  ranging  from  $100,000  to  $350,000 
yearly  are  found  the  names  also  of  Ethel  Clayton,  Dorothy 
Dalton,  Elsie  Ferguson,  Billie  Burke,  Katherine  MacDon- 
ald,  Anita  Stewart,  Mabel  Normand,  Will  Rogers,  William 
Duncan,  Harry  Carey,  Priscilla  Dean,  Viola  Dana,  Tom 
Meighan,  Bert  Lytell,  Larry  Semon,  Gloria  Swanson — per- 
haps a  number  of  others. 

So  much  for  the  stars. 

The  salaries  of  good  leads  have  gone  up  quite  as 
sensationally.  Regardless  of  resolutions  by  producers  to 
cut  salaries  and  of  the  criticism  of  their  extreme  altitude 
by  the  bankers  who  furnish  the  money  for  pictures,  the 
law  of  supply  and  demand  rules  the  player  market.  If 
several  companies  are  after  a  good  leading  man,  he  can 
almost  name  his  own  salary.  This  rule  applies,  of  course, 
only  to  that  genus  of  player  known  as  the  "free  lance," 
those  who  prefer  working  "by  the  piece"  to  signing  a  regular 
contract.  Among  the  leading  men  who  also  lead  in  the 
Amount  of  money  paid  for  their  services  are  James  Kirk- 
wood,  House  Peters,  Lewis  Stone,  Mahlon  Hamilton,  Wil- 


90  Opportunities  in  the 

Ham  Carleton  and  Milton  Sills,  whose  salaries  range  from 
$750  to  $1,750. 

So  far  as  I  know,  no  leading  man  has  ever  received 
more  than  $1,000  weekly  under  a  yearly  contract.  Among 
the  few  recipients  of  this  sum  are  Conrad  Nagle  and  Jack 
Holt,  the  latter  recently  promoted  to  stardom. 

As  a  money  maker,  James  Kirkwood  heads  the  list  of 
leading  men.  At  one  time,  he  worked  simultaneously  in  a 
Neilan  and  a  Dwan  production,  drawing  from  each  producer 
$1,750  weekly.  I  have  known  of  thousand-dollar-a-week 
leading  men  supporting  $250-a-week  stars — several  in- 
stances, in  fact.  The  star  got  the  glory  and  the  leading  man 
got  the  money. 

Feminine  leads  are  not  quoted  so  high  because  there 
is  less  demand.  Also,  whenever  a  leading  lady  gets  awfully 
good  some  producer  makes  her  a  star.  Top  price  for  femi- 
nine leads  is  $500. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  boys'  juvenile  lead,  young 
fellows  like  Ralph  Graves,  Eddie  Sutherland,  Casson  Fergu- 
son and  Jack  Mulhall,  whose  checks  read  anywhere  from 
$100  to  $500  a  week.  The  ingenue  is  next  at  a  salary  be- 
tween $100  and  $300 — not,  however,  where  the  ingenue  is 
the  leading  role.  Character  women  draw  from  $75  to  $250, 
and  more,  and  character  men,  as  much  and  more.  Men, 
like  the  brothers  Noah  and  Wallace  Beery,  who  play  char- 
acter heavies,  when  the  demand  is  good,  get  their  thousand 
a  week  without  argument. 

This  brings  us  down  to  the  small  part  players,  seldom 
engaged  for  the  entire  picture,  who  draw  from  $50  to  $100 
a  week,  and  the  "bit"  players  who  get  $10  to  $25  a  day — 
sometimes  more  if  some  unusual  type  of  player  is  getting 
lots  of  work  and  feels  independent. 

And  now  there's  no  one  left  but  the  lowly  extra.  A 
few  years  ago  you  could  get  them  by  the  thousand  for 
from  $1  to  $3  a  day.  But  it's  two  years — on  the  West 
Coast  anyhow — since  the  pay  for  mob,  atmosphere  and  other 
supernumeraries,  has  been  less  than  $5  a  day.  Those  who 
own  and  can  wear  good  looking  clothes  get  $10  a  day 
for  draping  themselves  around  a  cafe  or  ballroom  set. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  91 

Where  clothes  are  furnished,  as  at  Lasky's  and  several 
other  studios,  the  rate  is  $7.50  a  day. 

So  this  is  what  they  really  get,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest. 

And  they  are  worth  it — what  they  get — from  the  highest 
to  the  lowest;  in  many  instances  worth  more. 

If  Mary  Pickford,  Charlie  Chaplin  and  Douglas  Fair- 
banks, the  three  leaders  who  have  survived  the  ups  and 
downs  of  an  ever  changing  public's  whims  and  fancies, 
were  to  quit  making  their  own  pictures  tomorrow,  each 
would  be  overwhelmed  with  offers  of  salaries  that  would 
astound  the  world.  Before  she  decided  to  launch  her  own 
company  Miss  Pickford  refused  several  offers  of  $20,000 
a  week — more  than  a  million  a  year,  straight  salary.  The 
writer  is  not  violating  a  confidence  in  relating  an  incident 
of  less  than  two  years  ago  when  he  transmitted  to  Miss 
Pickford  for  a  great  distributing  organization  an  offer  to  pay 
her  as  high  as  $1,000,000  a  picture  for  any  production  she 
would  deign  to  deliver,  sight  unseen.  And  she  refused 
without  the  fraction  of  a  second's  hesitation! 


PICKFORDISMS  FOR  SUCCESS 

An  Interview  With 
MARY  PICKFORD 

T"  T  IS  really  a  very  difficult  thing  to  analyze  success," 
said  Mary  Pickford  to  the  interviewer.  "One 

JL  thing  would  I  like  to  impress  on  the  ambitious  girl 
seeking  a  career  in  motion  pictures — beauty  alone 
will  not  achieve  your  purpose.  Physical  beauty  is  a  great 
asset,  of  course,  but  it  is  not  paramount  when  the  sum  and 
substance  of  success  is  considered.  We  all  love  the  beau- 
tiful. A  thing  pleasing  to  the  eye  is  bound  to  attract.  But 
in  motion  pictures,  beauty,  which  once  held  the  boards  as 
the  greatest  attraction,  is  on  the  wane,  as  an  absolute  neces- 
sity for  screen  success. 

"Of  course  such  talented  players  as  Pauline  Frederick 
or  Mary  Alden  are  really  beautiful,  but  their  beauty  is  sel- 
dom allowed  to  assert  iself  upon  the  screen.  Theirs  is  a 
great  following  because  of  the  true-to-life  acting  they  give 
the  screen.  The  physical  beauty  they  are  possessed  of  is 
often  entirely  submerged  in  the  character  they  are  playing. 

"To  the  ambitious  girl  seeking  to  break  into  the  movies, 
I  would  say  that  if  she  is  possessed  of  beauty,  she  has  some- 
thing in  her  favor,  but  it  will  be  wise  to  remember  that 
beauty  alone  is  most  certainly  not  self-sustaining." 

And  this  ought  to  settle  once  and  for  all  the  question 
that  has  been  bandied  back  and  forth — whether  or  not  the 
beautiful  girl  is  certain  to  succeed  on  the  screen.  No  one 
knows  better  than  the  adorable  Mary  Pickford  the  qualifica- 
tions that  are  necessary  to  win  screen  success.  Recently 
she  said: 

"One  of  the  greatest  aids  to  success  is  found  in  watch- 
ing people.  It  does  not  really  matter  what  their  line  of 
work  may  be — the  methods  that  brought  them  the  reward 
are  invariably  the  same.  Integrity,  sincerity,  ambition, 
keenness  of  observation,  and  entire  willingness  to  be  freely 
criticized  and  advised,  together  with  a  healthy  desire  to 
study — and  study  so  as  to  attain  a  well-balanced,  cultivated 
mind — will  make  any  other  requirements  that  you  may 
have  take  on  their  full  face  value." 

S3 


94  Opportunities  in  the 

Mary  Pickford  has  achieved  the  greatest  heights  to 
which  anyone  can  climb  in  the  world  of  the  silent  drama. 
Many  have  said  that  she  was  fortunate  in  having  been 
among  the  very  first  who  embraced  the  silent  drama  as  a 
livelihood.  That  is  true,  of  course — but  then  why  shouldn't 
pioneers  in  any  field  of  endeavor  reap  the  reward  for  their 
foresight  ? 

What  has  really  made  Mary  Pickford  the  adored  of 
the  world?  I  asked  her  to  tell  me  what  would  be  a  good 
"prescription"  for  anyone  desirous  of  breaking  into  the 
movies,  and  hoping  for  success,  to  have  "filled  and  take  as 
directed" — and  here  it  is.  These  "Pickfordisms"  tell  the 
story  of  Mary  Pickford's  success. 

"If  you  play  fair  with  others,  you  will  never  need  to 
apologize  to  your  conscience. 

Discontent  breeds  trouble — trouble  breeds  broken  noses 
and  black  eyes ;  so  watch  your  step ! 

Investigate  a  well-established  law  carefully  before  con- 
demning it. 

"Think  for  yourself ;  the  exercise  will  do  you  good. 

"After  all,  what  is  success  in  life  but  happiness? 

"It  takes  a  big  man  to  admit  his  mistakes. 

"Every  ounce  of  success  brings  a  pound  of  responsibil- 
ity. Why  overload  yourself?  The  happiest  persons  in  the 
world  are  not  the  richest.  Nine  times  out  of  ten  a  million- 
aire with  his  limousine  is  not  as  happy  as  a  workingman 
with  his  flivver. 

"You  cannot  hope  to  succeed  without  teamwork  AND 
harmony.  Simon  Legree  had  teamwork  but  no  harmony." 

There's  your  set  of  "Film  Commandments"  that  are 
handed  down  to  you  by  one  who  has  soared  to  the  very 
loftiest  peak  of  film  success.  The  personality  with  which 
everyone  credits  Mary  Pickford,  is  reflected  in  these  "Pick- 
fordisms"  and  if  you  would  make  a  name  for  yourself  on 
the  screen,  or  in  any  walk  of  life,  it  would  be  well  to  fully 
digest  their  meaning.  In  a  message  to  all  screen  devotees, 
Mary  Pickford  says: 

"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  speak  to  my  many  friends 
who  are  interested  in  the  motion  picture. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  95 

'.'That  you  are  all  greatly  interested  in  the  art  of  the 
photoplay  is  evidenced  by  the  many  wonderful  letters  I  re- 
ceive from  you.  I  am  grateful,  indeed,  for  these  messages, 
and  if  I  have  been  able  to  bring  some  measure  of  gladness 
to  those  who  have  seen  my  pictures,  then  a  greater  joy  is 
mine. 

"We  can  perform  no  more  noble  service  in  the  world 
than  to  bring  happiness  and  good  cheer  into  the  hearts  of 
all  peoples.  If  we,  in  the  realm  of  make-believe,  succeed  in 
making  those  who  watch  us  upon  the  screen  forget  their 
own  vexing  affairs,  then  truly  we  have  served  a  mission, 
for  have  we  not  made  it  possible  for  them  to  go  back  with 
renewed  courage  to  the  problems  which  confront  them  in 
their  daily  lives?" 

These  words  are  typical  of  the  real  Mary  Pickford, 
whatever  personality  she  has,  and  she  surely  has  a  generous 
share  of  that  elusive  quality  which  has  been  developed  to  its 
present  state,  because  she  is  ever  willing  to  practice  what 
she  preaches.  If  you  meet  her,  you  will  find  that  she  is  at 
all  times  agreeable  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Never  too 
busy  to  stop  for  a  few  minutes  to  chat  with  an  admirer,  she 
seems  to  radiate  goodwill,  and  those  fortunate  enough  to  be 
near  her  in  the  studio  are  only  too  anxious  to  testify  as  to 
her  constant  thought  fulness. 

Mary  Pickford  is  as  close  to  the  ideal  of  young  Ameri- 
can womanhood  as  it  would  be  possible  to  fashion  a  woman, 
when  it  is  considered  that  in  becoming  the  ideal  by  which 
we  desire  to  judge  that  glorious  creature — the  American 
Woman — she  must  needs  stand  as  the  emblem  for  many 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  other  American  women. 

"People  have  asked  me  many  times  what  my  childhood 
ambitions  were.  Though  it  may  sound  a  bit  strange  to 
some,  I  must  confess  that  I  never  really  had  any  absolutely 
defined  ambitions — unless  they  were  that  I  secure  my  share 
of  the  fun  that  comes  from  being  a  child — that  fun  that 
every  healthy  child  seems  intent  upon  securing.  But  here 
enters  the  queer  part  of  it  all.  I  never  had  a  childhood ! 
What  I  wanted  most  was  my  dolls  and  toys — what  I  got 
was  a  chance  to  take  up  a  theatrical  career,  and  that  at  the 
age  of  five. 


96  Opportunities  in  the 

"A  Canadian  theatre  was  the  scene  of  my  first  public 
appearance.  From  that  first  night  on,  I  knew  that  I  always 
desired  to  please  my  public.  If  I  have  achieved  any  meas- 
ure of  success,  please  realize  that  it  was  won  only  because 
I  worked  very  hard.  As  I  look  back  now  and  count  the 
various  milestones  in  whatever  progress  I  may  have  made,  I 
appreciate  that  it  was  my  persistence  and  patience  that 
enabled  me  to  endure  that  constant  struggle  and  ceaseless 
battle  that  attended  those  early  years  in  my  career.  If  it  is 
your  desire  to  emulate  the  wonderful  success  that  so  many 
ambitious  young  girls  have  achieved,  please  remember  that 
no  lasting  success  can  be  won  without  hard  work  and  great 
sacrifice." 

How  wisely  Miss  Pickford  speaks,  and  how  consistent 
is  the  gist  of  her  observations  when  compared  with  similar 
observations  that  have  been  recorded  by  other  leaders  of 
the  profession,  in  other  chapters  of  this  volume. 

And  to  prove  to  yourself  that  Mary  Pickford  does  not 
think  that  she  has  reached  the  top  of  the  ladder,  you  need 
only  to  sit  in  her  dressing-room  and  listen  to  her  tell,  in 
that  earnest  way  of  hers,  why  she  does  not  retire  from  the 
screen;  why  she  remains  before  the  public,  when  so  many 
have  said  that  with  her  wealth,  they  would  retire  and  reap 
the  benefit  of  past  achievement,  instead  of  continuing  to 
work  as  hard  as  she  does. 

"My  ideals  still  beckon  me  on,"  she  says,  "and  my 
desire  is  to  help  the  world  to  be  happier.  I  would  love  to 
have  all  the  people  of  the  earth  see  the  beauty,  the  sunshine, 
the  joy  of  life  as  I  see  it.  Then,  too,  I  wish  to  create  stand- 
ards for  the  screen  art.  If  I  can  achieve  these  two  desires, 
I  shall  feel  that  I  have  at  least  come  nearer  to  the  goal  of 
my  ambitions.  Does  not  Sarah  Bernhardt  lend  rare  dra- 
matic talent  to  the  legitimate,  even  at  her  advanced  age? 
Why,  then  should  any  young  woman  retire,  just  because  she 
may  have  reaped  a  financial  reward  that  would  make  such 
a  step  an  easy  one  for  her?  It  is  the  duty  of  everybody 
who  has  ability  to  develop  to  the  utmost  that  which  is  within 
their  power,  and  I  am  trying  to  do  just  that." 

There  you  have  the  reason  why  Mary  Pickford  has 
triumphed.  She  has  never  felt  that  she  could  not  improve 
her  work.  With  her,  the  creating  of  each  new  role  but 


Motion  Picture  Industry  97 

opens  another  avenue  of  possibility  down  which  to  drive, 
and  I  for  one  am  thankful  that  she  has  elected  to  remain 
with  us  in  a  professional  way. 

"In  the  great  struggle  of  life  do  wef  ever  really  reach 
our  goal?  Is  it  possible  to  say  that  we  have  realized  our 
ambitions  while  there  remains  within  us  the  power  to  push 
on  ?  Is  it  not  the  creative  instinct — the  desire  to  make  more 
certain  that  we  have  done  our  best — that  we  have  given  of 
our  best — that  prompts  such  stars  as  Sarah  Bernhardt  to 
go  on  and  on  with  their  work?  How  wonderful  it  is  to 
have  our  little  air  castles,  but  could  we  possibly  build  them 
into  realities  if  we  did  not  lay  the  foundation  for  them 
through  hard  work  and  persistent  efforts?" 

Ah!  Mary  Pickford,  your  interviewer  knows  now 
why  you  have  won  the  place  you  so  securely  hold  in  the 
hearts  of  the  world !  He  knows  now  what  lies  back  of  those 
brain  children  that  you  give  to  the  screen  every  now  and 
then.  He  prays  you — don't  desert  the  multitude  of  friends 
you  have — the  friends  into  whose  hearts  you  have  crept  by 
the  life-like  characterizations  with  which  you  have  graced 
the  silver  sheet. 

But  then  why  need  we  worry  about  Mary  Pickford 
leaving  us  ?  We  have  but  to  hear  her  say :  "I  for  one"  know 
and  am  quite  willing  to  admit  that  as  yet  I  have  not  reached 
my  goal," — to  know  that  for  some  time  to  come,  Mary 
Pickford  will  continue  to  spread  that  same  measure  of  joy 
to  the  world  at  large  that  she  has  showered  upon  us  for  so 
many  years.  That  same  sincere  effort  that  has  always  char- 
acterized her  work  will  be  just  as  apparent  now,  in  the 
flush  of  success,  as  that  which  marked  her  work  as  a 
novice.  And  we  may  look  for  greater  and  finer  things  from 
Mary  Pickford  in  the  future. 

To  the  multitude  of  fans  who  cannot  act  and  yet  can 
write,  and  who  are  desirous  of  gaining  some  measure  of 
screen  success,  would  it  not  be  well  to  be  counselled  by  so 
prominent  a  personage  in  the  movie  firmament  as  Miss 
Pickford,  who  goes  on  record  as  saying: 

"In  my  opinion  one  of  the  most  important  persons 
connected  with  a  photoplay  is  the  author." 


98  Opportunities  in  the 

Is  it  not  high  time  that  those  lovers  of  the  silent 
drama,  who  are  not  fitted  to  become  film  players  and  who 
yet  may  have  the  makings  of  photodramatists,  should  put 
aside  their  earlier  ambitions,  and  devote  their  time  to  the 
serious  problem  of  developing  their  writing  ability? 

"A  good  story  is  the  foundation  for  every  good  pic- 
ture," says  Miss  Pickford.  "An  excellent  star  and  a  ca- 
pable director  cannot  make  a  good  picture  of  a  bad  story. 
That  is  to  say,  if  they  stick  to  the  story. 

"The  screen  will  always  need  good  stories,  and  it 
seems  to  me  there  must  be  many  who  can  write  who  could 
not  possibly  act.  I  might  mention  as  an  example  the  case 
of  Frances  Marion,  who  is  probably  the  highest  paid 
scenarioist  in  the  picture  world  today.  She  began  as  an 
actress  but  soon  discovered  that  the  greatest  fame  and  the 
most  money  for  her  lay  in  creating  photoplays,  not  in  ap- 
pearing before  the  camera.  The  opportunity  for  financial 
as  well  as  artistic  success,  is  probably  as  great  for  those  who 
seriously  undertake  scenario  writing  as  for  those  who  would 
gain  fame  and  fortune  as  players." 

And  so  we  have  the  observations  of  Mary  Pickford! 
Is  there,  after  all,  anyone  who  is  better  qualified  to  speak 
of  screen  success  than  this  sterling  actress  ?  I  think  not ; 
therefore,  further  words  on  the  interviewer's  part  would  be 
ill-timed. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  99 

ARE  PRODUCERS  REALLY  TRYING  TO  ELEVATE 
THE  SCREEN? 

By  ARTHUR  JAMES 
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,  Moving  Picture  World 

IS  the  producer  of  moving  pictures  trying  to  elevate  the 
screen,  trying  to  improve  his  photography,  trying  for 
better  drama,  better  acting,  better  plays? 

He  is  not  only  trying  to  do  these  things,  he's  abso- 
lutely struggling.  The  only  thing  he  is  seeking  to  avoid  is 
the  elevation  of  the  screen  up  to,  over  or  beyond  the  brows 
of  the  Great  Public,  and  his  reason  for  this  avoidance  is  two- 
fold. The  first  reason  is  that  if  he  is  not  understood  on  the 
screen  his  public  will  turn  away  from  his  product.  The 
second  reason  is  a  complement  to  the  first — he  will  lose 
money,  and  picture  production  is  so  costly  that  it  must  be 
at  least  a  modest  financial  success  if  the  producer  is  to  con- 
tinue in  business. 

The  producer  of  moving  pictures  is  the  man  under  fire 
from  the  batteries  of  the  critics.  These  critics  are  guided 
by  the  Biblical  assertion,  "by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them,"  which,  like  all  adages,  is  often  mistaken  when  ap- 
plied haphazardly. 

Critics  of  the  screen  charge  that  its  drama  is  not  sound, 
that  its  plots  are  unworthy,  that  its  acting  is  inadequate  and 
that  as  an  institution  it  is  so  frivolous  and  so  frothy  that  it 
deserves  no  recognition  as  an  art  and  that  it  has  no  right  to 
expect  the  consideration  of  thoughtful  men  and  women. 
The  critics  have  gone  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  screen  exerts 
a  vitiating  influence  on  the  character  of  the  young  and  that 
the  world  would  be  better  off  without  it. 

The  answer  of  the  millions  is  that  they  want  the  screen, 
they  delight  in  its  entertainment  and  that  it  provides  rec- 
reation at  a  cost  within  their  reach.  The  answer  of  the 
producer  is  his  constant  effort  to  do  better,  bigger  and  finer 
things — to  make  his  pictures  just  as  fine  as  the  market  will 
stand.  He  is  not  moved  by  sordid  commercialism  in  this 
effort.  He  is  anxious  to  achieve  and  to  make  for  his  institu- 
tion a  substantial  foundation  that  will  insure  its  perpetuation 
and  its  increasing  influence  for  the  world. 


100  Opportunities  in  the 

If  this  be  so,  asks  the  bystander,  why  have  not  pictures 
improved  ?  The  answer  is  that  they  have  and  in  the  present 
year  the  strides  have  been  greater  and  more  important 
than  ever  before. 

A  short  fifteen  years  ago  all  that  was  necessary  to 
crowd  the  small  theatre — there  were  no  large  theatres  then 
— was  to  place  on  one  side  of  the  entrance  a  lithograph  de- 
picting a  cowboy  and  on  the  other  side  one  presenting  an 
Indian  in  a  war  bonnet.  The  public  flocked  in  and  it  flocked 
in  again  and  again  until  it  had  seen  all  the  short  lengths  of 
film  showing  these  two  subjects.  Then  the  public  wanted 
something  better  and  thus  began  the  cultivation  of  public 
taste  for  pictures  and  the  producers'  efforts  to  cater  to  the 
new  demands.  The  Italians  with  their  "Quo  Vadis"  and 
"Cabiria"  led  the  way  in  great  spectacle  productions  and 
the  Americans  went  farther  with  "The  Birth  of  a  Nation." 

All  pictures  cannot  be  great  spectacles  any  more  than 
all  stories  can  be  long  novels  and  the  impetus  for  better 
production  had  its  effect  on  all  sorts  and  kinds  of  screen 
plays. 

The  first  step  was  to  make  them  longer  and  for  a  season 
anything  that  was  five  thousand  feet  long  was  regarded  as 
far  finer  than  something  which  stopped  at  a  thousand  feet. 
Having  passed  through  the  struggle  for  length  the  efforts 
toward  quality  began.  What  is  known  by  the  much-abused 
word  "class"  in  pictures  became  all  important.  Elaborate 
wardrobes  were  of  great  moment.  Fashionable  gowns  be- 
came essential.  Settings  were  given  attention  and  the  art 
director  came  into  being.  Beauty  and  the  atmosphere  of 
luxury  were  sought  for  on  the  theory  that  the  workaday 
man  and  woman  in  the  hours  of  leisure  wanted  to  see  how 
the  favored  of  fortune  moved  and  had  their  being. 

About  this  time  the  direction  of  pictures  began  gen- 
erally to  improve.  New  methods  for  securing  effects  were 
set  aside  for  better  methods  of  story  telling.  Men  who 
could  provide  these  methods  found  themselves  in  demand 
and  their  rewards  were  rich.  The  old  phrase,  "the  play's 
the  thing,"  began  to  impress  producers  and  the  competition 
for  excellence  became  keener  than  before.  The  producers 
wanted  to  be  successful  not  merely  for  the  money  rewards. 
They  wanted  to  demonstrate  their  own  genius  for  achieve- 
ment. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  101 

The  salacious  appeal  which  marked  a  stage  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  screen  has  long  since  been  discarded,  not 
because  there  were  not  men  who  were  willing  to  use  this 
appeal  but  because  the  great  masses  of  the  people  ceased  to 
respond  to  it.  The  so-called  vampires  of  the  screen  are 
all  as  dead  as  the  mummies  of  Egypt  and  they  hold  about 
the  same  thrill  today  for  the  public.  This  public  was  edu- 
cated by  the  screen  itself  to  a  point  beyond  the  vampire 
and  above  the  vampire,  and  the  only  specimens  of  that 
species  we  see  today  are  found  where  the  public  has  placed 
them,  in  comedy. 

The  producer  has,  in  facing  politically  conceived  and 
politically  operated  censorship  of  the  screen,  found  him- 
self facing  a  ban  in  the  matter  of  sex  appeal.  Neither  the 
novelist  nor  the  dramatist  of  the  legitimate  (so-called) 
stage  has  this  handicap,  and  it  is  a  handicap  of  the  most 
serious  sort.  If  improper  sex  appeal  were  under  the  ban 
there  could  be  no  possible  objection,  for  the  public  in  the 
mass  today  already  has  banned  it.  To  demand  that  there 
be  no  sex  appeal  on  the  screen  is  readily  seen  to  be  absurd 
when  we  consider  that  without  sex  appeal  we  would  have  no 
human  race  and  no  politicians  to  censor  pictures.  The  pro- 
ducer already  turned  improper  sex  appeal  down  as  bad 
business  and  bad  art  long  before  the  reformer  awoke  to 
its  possibilities  for  exploitation. 

In  speaking  of  the  producer  we  refer  to  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority  of  him  and  not  to  the  occasional  reprobate  and 
downright  scamp  which  the  picture  business  does  not  hold  in 
exclusion. 

The  first  move  of  the  producer  toward  bettering  the 
morals  of  his  product  was  the  creation  of  the  old  National 
Board  of  Censorship,  subsequently  the  National  Board  of 
Review,  a  body  of  educators  that  served  without  influence 
or  suggestion  in  the  examination  of  all  pictures  so  that  a 
check  could  be  made  against  those  which  proved  undesirable. 
This  board  was  maintained  by  voluntary  contributions  of 
the  film  companies  and  others,  because  there  was  no  reason 
to  expect  the  public  to  bear  the  burden  of  office  and  over- 
head expense.  Because  the  producer  paid  the  expenses 
criticism  was  leveled  at  the  Board  of  Review,  but  an  an- 
alysis of  the  situation  demonstrates  the  propriety  of  it.  The 


102  ,   Opportunities  in  the 

personnel  of  the  board  is  now  and  always  has  been  above 
reproach. 

Going  still  farther  into  the  matter  of  elevation,  the 
producers  after  long  conferences  arrived  at  a  series  of  rules 
for  all  studios  so  that  mistakes  could  be  'corrected  at  the 
source.  These  rules,  now  posted  conspicuously  in  the 
studios,  were  formally  adopted  and  ratified  by  the  signatures 
of  the  producers. 

They  are  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  National  Association  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  reaffirms  its  emphatic  protest  against  the  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  exhibition  of  all  motion  pictures  which  are 
obscene,  salacious,  indecent  and  immoral,  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  while  the  creators  of  the  art  of  the  motion 
pictures  must  in  no  way  be  hampered  or  prohibited  from  de- 
picting honestly  and  clearly  life  as  it  is  to  the  end  that  this  art 
may  not  be  hindered  in  its  movement  toward  the  dignity  of 
other  arts,  the  motion  picture  should  not  be  prostituted  to  a  use 
or  as  a  means  toward  arousing  bawdy  emotions  or  pandering  to  a 
salacious  curiosity,  or  in  any  other  manner  injurious  to  public 
welfare,  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  To  the  end  that  the  motion  picture  be  held  on  that 
high  plane  which  it  has  already  attained,  that  the  producers  of 
motion  pictures  refrain  from  producing  such  morion  pictures. 

(a)  Which  emphasize  and  exaggerate  sex  appeal  or  depict 
scenes  therein  exploiting  interest  in  sex  in  an  improper  or  sug- 
gestive form  or  manner. 

(b)  Based  upon  white  slavery  or  commercialized  vice  or 
scenes  showing  the  procurement  of  women  or  any  of  the  activi- 
ties attendant  upon  this  traffic. 

(c)  Thematically  making  prominent  an  illicit  love   affair 
which  tends  to  make  virtue  odious  and  vice  attractive. 

(d)  With  scenes  which  exhibit  nakedness  or  persons  scant- 
ily dressed,  particularly  suggestive  bedroom  and  bathroom  scenes 
and  scenes  of  inciting  dances. 

(e)  With  scenes  which  unnecessarily  prolong  expressions 
or  demonstrations  of  passionate  love. 

(f)  Predominantly  concerned  with  the  underworld  or  vice 
and  crime,  and   like  scenes,  unless   the  scenes  are  part  of  an 
essential  conflict  between  good  and  evil. 

(g)  Of  stories  which  make  drunkenness  and  gambling  at- 
tractive, or  with  scenes  which  show  the  use  of  narcotics  and 
other  unnatural  practices  dangerous  to  social  morality. 

(h)  Of  stories  and  scenes  which  may  instruct  the  morally 
feeble  in  methods  of .  committing  crime  _or  by  cumulative  pro- 
cesses emphasize  crime  and  the  commission  of  crime. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  103 

(i)  Of  stories  or  scenes  which  ridicule  or  deprecate  public 
officials,  officers  of  the  law,  the  United  States  Army,  the  United 
States  Navy  or  other  governmental  authority,  or  which  tend  to 
weaken  the  authority  of  the  law. 

(j)  Of  stories  or  scenes  or  incidents  which  offend  the  re- 
ligious belief  of  any  person,  creed  or  sect  or  ridicule  ministers, 
priests,  rabbis,  or  recognized  leaders  of  any  religious  sect,  and 
also  which  are  disrespectful  to  objects  or  symbols  used  in 
connection  with  any  religion. 

(k)  Of  stories  or  with  scenes  which  unduly  emphasize 
bloodshed  and  violence  without  justification  in  the  structure  of 
the  story. 

(1)  Of  stories  or  with  scenes  which  are  vulgar  and  portray 
improper  gestures,  posturings  and  attitudes. 

(m)  With  salacious  titles  and  subtitles  in  connection  with 
their  presentation  or  exhibition,  and  the  use  of  salacious  adver- 
tising matter,  photographs  and  lithographs  in  connection  there- 
with, and  h  is  further 

Resolved,  That  this  association  record  its  intention  to  aid 
and  assist  the  properly  constituted  authorities  in  the  criminal 
prosecution  of  any  producer,  distributor  or  exhibitor  of  motion 
pictures,  who  shall  produce,  distribute  or  exhibit  any  obscene, 
salacious  or  immoral  motion  picture  in  violation  of  the  law,  to 
the  end  that  the  recognized  public  good  accomplished  by  the 
motion  picture  shall  be  preserved  and  advanced,  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  any  member  of  this  association  wilfully 
refusing  to  carry  into  effect  these  resolutions,  shall  be  subject  to 
expulsion  as  a  member  of  the  association,  and  further  subject 
to  such  other  penalties  as  the  association  may  fix,  and  be  it 
further 

Resolved,  That  all  exhibitors,  producers  and  distributors  of 
motion  pictures,  not  members  of  this  association,  be  urged  to 
cooperate  to  carry  into  full  effect  these  resolutions. 

These  rules  were  adopted  in  spite  and  not  because  of 
proposed  censorship  legislation,  but  after  they  were  ac- 
cepted, they  were  used  by  the  reform  folk  as  tending  to 
prove  that  moving  pictures  were  so  terrible  in  their  morals 
that  they  needed  an  overlordship.  This  they  got  by  legis- 
lative enactment  and  the  overlords — there  are  three  of  them 
— are  all  political  appointees.  This  is  mentioned  to  evidence 
the  difficulties  producers  have  encountered  and  are  encoun- 
tering in  endeavoring  to  solve  their  own  problems  in  their 
own  way. 

As  for  the  morals  of  the  screen,  there  is  no  doubt  about 
their  upward  trend  and  no  doubt  either  that  they  are  in 
danger  at  the  present  time  of  becoming  goody-goody.  This 
will  be  dangerous  to  the  future  of  the  screen  because  so  soon 


104  Opportunities  in  the 

as  it  ceases  to  interest  it  will  disappear  as  a  popular  amuse- 
ment. 

The  producer  has  today  a  greater  problem  to  solve  than 
ever  before  because  the  errors  of  the  screen  are  chiefly 
offenses  against  good  taste.  To  develop  good  taste  is  a  dif- 
ficult thing  to  do,  especially  when  good  taste  is  so  lacking 
in  our  social  structure.  We  have  atrocious  architecture  with 
certain  conspicuous  exceptions.  We  have  the  horrors  of  the 
billboards  and  painted  signs  which  mar  the  beauties  of  our 
landscapes.  We  endure  the  bad  taste  of  our  daily  news- 
papers and  even  the  blatancies  of  a  section  of  our  pulpits. 
We  venture  the  observation  that  perfect  taste  on  the  screen 
will  take  a  long  time  to  develop  and  to  cultivate,  but  it  is 
reassuring  to  be  able  to  record  that  the  producer  of  moving 
pictures  has  set  his  eager  hands  to  the  task  and  that  he 
actually  is  making  progress. 

The  screen  is  more  than  an  entertainment,  it  is  more 
than  an  educator.  The  screen  is  an  influence,  a  medium  of 
expression  that,  unhampered  and  left  to  those  who  know  it 
best  and  who  are  striving  to  serve  it  best,  will  conquer  the 
world.  It  will  abolish  war  when  the  human  heart  can  turn 
away  from  war.  It  will  serve  the  ends  of  civilization  and 
bring  the  peoples  of  the  world  to  a  common  understanding. 

The  screen  cannot  hope  to  abolish  the  Devil  and  all  his 
works  because  the  screen  is  only  an  instrument  in  the  hand 
of  man.  Man  down  to  date,  despite  all  the  millions  of 
money  in  support,  has  failed  to  vanquish  Satan  entirely. 
All  the  screen  can  hope  to  do  is  to  make  him  most  unpopular. 

The  producer  today  is  a  human  being  with  human  lim- 
itations, but  he  is  looking  upwards  and  he's  struggling  for 
the  better  things. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  105 


CENSORSHIP 
Will  It  Solve  the  Problem? 

By  RUPERT  HUGHES 

Eminent  Author,  Novelist,  Photodramatist 

NOBODY  who  is  willing  to  be  a  censor  is  fit  to  be 
one.     That  person  is  already  self -condemned  who 
has  such  mad  or  ignorant  respect  for  his  own  judg- 
ment and  his  own  rectitude  that  he  will  consent 
to  pass  in  review  all  the  works  of  other  minds  and  say 
"That  is  good,"  "That  is  bad,"  "Thou  shalt  do  this,"  "Thou 
shalt  not  say  that,"  "Do  this  and  all  is  well,"  or  "Do  that  and 
evil  will  come  of  it." 

While  a  large  percentage  of  the  moving  pictures  inevi- 
tably lack  inspiration,  originality,  uplift  and  importance,  this 
is  just  as  true  of  fiction,  history,  poetry,  painting,  sculpture, 
editorials,  essays,  legislation  and  sermons. 

A  vast  number  of  movies  are  meant  for  the  people  who 
like  dime  novels,  chromos,  jazz  music,  doggerel  verse,  kew- 
pies,  yellow  journalism,  crank  laws,  and  pulpit  pounding. 
It  is  foolish  to  expect  genius  and  divine  wisdom  in  every- 
thing. 

But  no  sensible  person  advocates  burdening  the  tax- 
payers with  more  red  tapeworms  in  office  for  the  purpose 
of  reading  in  advance  all  the  material  intended  for  maga- 
zines, books,  Victrola  records,  illustrations,  wall-mottoes, 
newspaper  and  church  congregations. 

The  insanely  exaggerated  misbehavior  of  a  moving  pic- 
ture comedian  excited  a  great  uproar  for  a  moving  picture 
censorship,  local,  state  and  national,  yet  nobody  is  worrying 
over  the  surprising  fact  that  at  this  same  moment  a  Metho- 
dist minister  is  on  trial  for  murdering  a  Catholic  priest;  a 
faith  healer  is  under  indictment  for  breaking  the  bones  of 
a  trusting  woman  patient;  and  that  one  of  the  noisiest 
Baptist  ministers  on  earth  is  on  trial  by  his  own  congrega- 
tion for  preaching  salacious  sermons,  gaining  control  of 
the  church  by  crooked  politics,  and  mismanagement  of  funds. 


106  Opportunities  in  the 

A  girl  was  shot  to  death  on  her  mother's  porch  re- 
cently by  a  man  not  associated  with  the  movies,  yet  nobody 
advocates  closing  front  porches. 

As  for  censorship,  the  ministers  should  be  the  last 
people  on  earth  to  advocate  it,  because  everyone  of  their 
calling  has  had  to  fight  desperately  against  censorship,  and 
has  poured  out  the  blood  of  martyrs  for  the  privilege  of 
saying  the  truth  as  they  saw  it,  although  every  other  equally 
sincere  churchman  has  felt  that  his  liberty  of  speech  would 
make  hell  rejoice. 

In  the  good  old  Puritan  days,  which  some  of  them  are 
wishing  to  recall,  every  vice  flourished  or  else  their  own 
preachers'  words  are  not  to  be  trusted.  And  censorship 
flourished  as  never  before,  censorship  of  everything,  public 
and  private. 

As  a  boy  I  joined  the  Congregational  Church,  the  de- 
scendant of  the  good  old  Puritan  church.  I  learned,  long 
after,  that  our  parent  body  lashed  innocent  Baptists  in  the 
streets  until  their  flesh  hung  in  bloody  rags;  stripped 
Quakers,  women  as  well  as  men,  and  flogged  them  through 
the  snowy  streets ;  abominated  Catholicism  so  that  they  fired 
a  cannon  at  a  painting  of  the  Virgin  Mary  on  a  Catholic 
Church;  would  not  endure  Presbyterians  among  them,  or 
Episcopalians.  They  put  earnest  men  and  women  to  death 
for  their  religious  opinions. 

If  you  don't  believe  this,  read  history;  read  the  history 
of  each  church  written  by  its  own  adherents  and  see  what 
fiendish  persecutions  religious  men  have  suffered  from  re- 
ligious men — and  always,  always  in  the  name  of  morality, 
purity,  the  home,  the  children  and  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

Let  us  not  be  blinded  or  stampeded  by  the  loud  shout- 
ing of  men  who  mask  their  tyrannical  purposes  under  the 
velvet  of  religion.  They  mask  their  purposes  even  from 
themselves.  They  are  sincere,  but  sincerity  only  increases 
the  fanatic  cruelty  and  ignorance  of  a  man. 

I  loathe  cheap,  vulgar,  licentious,  shoddy  movies  as  I 
loathe  nasty  novels,  prurient  newspapers  and  the  outrageous 
things  that  are  shouted  from  pulpits  by  men  who  are  wearing 
the  robes  of  Christ,  who  said  to  the  guilty,  "Neither  do  I 
condemn  thee." 


Motion  Picture  Industry  107 

Let  us  not  forget  that  the  Pharisees  censored  Christ's 
parables  and  his  home-wrecking  ideas  of  the  Sabbath  and 
of  many  other  sacred  institutions.  They  censored  Christ  to 
death,  and  they  turned  away  from  Barabbas  to  crucify  him ; 
just  as  they  would  let  the  thieves  and  murderers  and  sinners 
in  all  walks  of  life  go  unheeded  while  they  mob  the  moving 
picture  makers.  At  a  time  when  Los  Angeles  cannot  afford 
enough  police  to  control  the  street  traffic  or  pursue  criminals, 
they  can  find  money  to  support  a  board  of  review  for  films. 

The  success  of  the  moving  pictures  is  in  the  arousing 
of  sympathy.  Pictures  are  already  forbidden  in  many  states 
to  discuss  or  portray  the  themes  that  fill  the  Bible,  Shakes- 
peare, the  newspapers  and  the  gossip  of  every  home.  Yet 
crime  and  vice  flourish  in  those  states  with  just  as  much 
vigor  as  in  states  too  sane  to  be  bitten  by  the  censorship 
witch-scare. 

The  established  censors  have  already  passed  beyond 
the  censoring  of  fiction  material.  They  are  cutting  out 
expressions  of  political  opinion.  They  have  in  many,  many 
cases  cut  out  new  pictures  and  modified  educational  films. 
In  Pennsylvania  when  the  Supreme  Court  denied  the  wis- 
dom of  a  censorship  ban,  the  censors  coolly  informed  the 
Supreme  Court  that  they  were  superior  to  the  Supreme 
Court. 

The  present  wave  of  mob  violence  toward  the  pictures 
will  turn  shortly  toward  some  new  excitement.  But  let  us 
not  permit  the  wave  to  leave  upon  the  shore  cumbersome 
monstrosities  that  will  not  be  easily  moved. 

A  council  of  a  few  men  terrified  by  noisy  moralists  can 
carelessly  vote  an  institution  into  the  laws  that  will  take 
many  councils  to  vote  out  again. 

The  worst  of  it  is  its  futility.  Any  sane  man  knows 
that  every  single  evil  that  we  abhor  today  is  as  old  as  man- 
kind. Yet  the  movies  are  only  twenty  years  old.  That 
must  mean  something  to  anybody  who  reasons  concerning 
cause  and  effect. 

If  you  kill  the  movies,  you  will  find  vice  still  mocking 
and  flourishing  as  it  did  in  Boston  and  everywhere  else. 

There  is  one  man  whom  the  world  regards  as  having 
done  more  to  redeem  children  from  vice  and  to  set  on  foot 


108  Opportunities  in  the 

sane  and  effective  cures  for  juvenile  wickedness  than  all 
churchmen  in  history. 

This  very  day  I  received  from  him  a  letter  in  which 
he  said:  "If  you  want  to  get  me  wildly  excited,  just  talk 
about  this  'darn'  fool  censorship."  When  he  talked  frankly 
to  a  body  of  ministers  against  censorship,  from  his  vast 
knowledge  of  juvenile  evils,  and  from  the  vast  beauty  of 
his  love  for  children,  the  ministers  howled  him  down — as 
recently  in  this  city  they  sang  and  shouted  down  another 
minister  who  pleaded  for  brotherly  love  and  justice. 

Freedom  of  art  and  speech  and  parable  and  thought  are 
precious  beyond  our  understanding.  Our  generation  has 
never  known  the  horrors  of  a  church-ruled  state  or  of  dom- 
ination by  religious  denomination.  It  is  very  easy  to  let  our 
jewel  fall  back  into  the  deep  ocean  of  past  misery.  It  will 
not  be  easy  to  find  it  again. 

Possibly  the  best  way  to  illustrate  the  lack  of  worthi- 
ness back  of  censorship  is  to  enumerate  herewith  some 
striking  examples  of  censorship  incongruities. 

A  monkey,  not  liking  his  ugly  face  when  he  saw  it 
in  a  mirror,  broke  the  mirror  and  said,  "Now  I  am  beautiful 
once  more."  The  censor,  seeing  vice  depicted  on  the  screen, 
would  purify  the  world  by  preventing  new  pictures  of  sins 
as  old  as  the  world. 

"Little  Women,"  by  Miss  Alcott,  is  generally  accepted 
as  one  of  the  sweetest,  purest  classics  of  child  life.  Yet 
Amy  Lowell  says  that  her  parents  would  not  let  her  read 
fit  because  of  its  bad  influence;  she  had  to  read  it  secretly 
at  a  neighbor's  house.  If  her  parents  had  been  censors, 
"Little  Women"  would  have  been  heavily  censored  as  a 
book,  a  play,  and  a  film,  in  which  three  forms  it  has  had 
immense  success.  This  shows  that  once  censorship  is  per- 
mitted there  is  no  limit  to  its  mischievous  insolence. 

When  Charles  Dickens  wrote  "Oliver  Twist,"  London 
was  so  filled  with  pickpockets  and  their  teachers  that  he 
made  Fagan  and  his  pupils  immortal  characters.  When  the 
book  was  dramatized  the  censors  forbade  the  production  be- 
cause it  would  teach  crime.  London  was  already  swarming 
with  thieves  before  the  book  was  written;  yet  the  censors 
feared  that  it  would  create  what  is  merely  described.  This 
is  a  typical  bit  of  censorship  logic. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  109 

The  censors  are  going  to  stop  crimes  by  censoring  the 
films.  Why  don't  they  put  an  end  to  diseases  by  burning 
the  medical  books  that  describe  them? 

Divorces  and  other  crimes  increased  in  Philadelphia 
enormously  last  year.  Yet  all  moving  pictures  are  heavily 
censored  in  Philadelphia.  If  other  states  will  only  pass 
strict  censorship  laws  the  whole  country  will  soon  be  as 
pure  as  Pittsburgh. 

What  a  pity  they  didn't  have  a  motion  picture  censor- 
ship in  ancient  Egypt.  Then  such  vampires  at  Potiphar's 
wife  and  Cleopatra  could  never  have  learned  their  wicked 
ways  from  the  nefarious  films. 

Evil  was  not  brought  into  the  world  by  the  serpent  in 
Eden,  but  it  was  created  by  Thomas  A.  Edison,  who  in- 
vented the  moving  picture  machine.  Anyone  who  doubts 
this  has  only  to  read  any  argument  for  film  censorship  and 
he  will  see  at  once  that  all  wickedness  is  due  to  uncensored 
films. 

How  can  anyone  object  to  a  drastic  motion  picture 
censorship?  It  is  evident  from  all  the  arguments  in  favor 
of  it  that  there  was  never  any  wickedness  in  the  world 
until  the  motion  picture  became  popular,  and  there  is  no 
wickedness  now  in  any  community  that  has  no  picture  house. 

People  used  to  lay  the  blame  for  various  forms  of 
wickedness  on  the  devil,  on  animal  instincts,  on  greed,  pas- 
sion, envy  and  other  temptations.  The  advocate  of  censor- 
ship laws  proves  that  all  these  sins  are  really  created  by 
the  motion  picture,  and  will  cease  as  soon  as  it  is  properly 
controlled. 

The  Rev.  Wilbur  F.  Crafts  is  going  to  redeem  the 
world  by  scissoring  the  films.  But  he  was  a  preacher 
long  before  there  were  any  films.  What  did  he  preach 
about  in  those  days?  Surely  not  redemption  from  sin; 
for  there  could  not  have  been  any  sin,  since  there  was  no 
cinema. 

Would  it  not  be  wise  for  all  devotees  of  the  silent 
drama,  many  of  whom  doubtless  are  readers  of  these  vol- 
umes, to  do  everything  in  their  power,  either  by  the  writ- 
ten or  spoken  word,  to  discourage  film  censorship  in  their 
communities?  "Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death."  Keep 
our  liberty  or  we  are  already  dead ! 


FINANCING    MOTION    PICTURES 

By  MOTLEY  H.  FLINT. 
VJce-Prcsident,   Los   Angeles  Trust  &   Savings   Bank 

Editor's  Note:  Motley  H.  Flint,  as  a  banker,  is  not  only  interested 
in  the  returns  he  will  get  from  the  money  he  lends  to  motion  picture 
producers,  but  he  has  made  an  exhaustive  study  and  a  careful  analysis 
of  the  industry  from  an  economic  standpoint.  His  observations  on 
conditions  influencing  production  should  prove  interesting  to  everyone 
interested  in  motion  pictures. 

FINANCING  motion  picture  production  or  distribu- 
tion !  Here  indeed  is  an  absorbing  story,  as  interesting 
as  any  drama  you  may  see  on  the  screen. 

The  fascinating  pictures  that  you  see  when  you 
visit  your  neighborhood  motion  picture  theatre — the  drama- 
tic stories  told  through  this  wonderful  new  medium  of  ex- 
pression— have  you  ever  thought  of  the  tremendous  amount 
of  time  and  money  expended  on  a  picture  that  provides  you 
with  entertainment  for  an  hour  or  two  ? 

It  takes  many  weeks  of  hard  work  to  produce  the  pic- 
ture you  watch  for  two  hours.  During  these  weeks,  there  is 
a  tremendous  staff  of  workers  who  must  be  paid.  You  know 
something  about  the  salaries  paid  to  stars  and  to  leading 
men  and  women,  yet  these  tremendous  salaries  represent 
only  a  fraction  of  the  actual  payroll.  Besides  the  leading 
players,  there  are  a  substantial  number  of  lesser  actors  and 
very  many  supernumeraries  or  "extra"  people  who  take  part 
in  the  picture. 

But  the  people  who  appear  in  the  finished  play  are  by 
no  means  the  only  ones  who  take  part  in  the  production  of  a 
picture.  Director  and  assistant  directors,  camera  men,  car- 
penters, electricians,  wardrobe  workers,  scene  painters, 
scenario  writers,  assistant  film  editors,  continuity  and  title 
writers,  all  become  a  very  important  factor  in  the  studio 
payroll. 

Besides  salaries,  there  are  other  expenses  which  mount 
up  into  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars.  Properties,  scen- 
ery, costumes,  transportation — all  are  extremely  costly. 
And  there  are  also  the  sundry  expenses,  studio  overhead, 
lighting  (unless  outdoor  studios  are  used),  cleaning,  office 
maintenance,  and  the  regular  expenses  connected  with  the 
conduct  of  a  large  business.  During  the  weeks  of  produc- 
tion, these  expenses  are  going  on  as  usual. 

in 


112  Opportunities  in  the 

Just  as  in  any  other  big  business  venture,  money  to  pay 
expenses  cannot  be  drawn  from  the  coffers  of  the  company. 
So,  naturally,  motion  picture  producers  turn  to  the  banks 
for  loans  just  as  any  other  business  men  would.  And  nat- 
urally the  bank  makes  investigation  as  to  expenses  connected 
with  the  project. 

The  expenses  I  have  mentioned  above  are  all  legiti- 
mate and  unless  the  producers  are  extravagant  or  wasteful, 
every  cent  spent  for  such  purposes  is  necessary.  But  there 
is  one  channel  of  expense  connected  with  the  motion  picture 
industry  that  causes  bankers  to  think  twice  before  advancing 
loans  to  producers.  I  refer  to  the  expense  of  distribution 
by  what  are  known  as  "independent  producers."  We  classify 
as  "independent"  those  producers  who  make  pictures  but 
who  neither  distribute  nor  control  the  distribution  of  the 
pictures  they  make.  There  are  only  a  few  producers  who 
operate  their  own  distribution  offices;  the  majority  of  pro- 
ducers are  "independent." 

Today,  the  manner  of  distributing  pictures  produced  by 
these  independent  producers  is  extremely  inefficient.  The 
distribution  of  pictures — comparable  to  sales  in  other  busi- 
ness— is  carried  on  by  offices  throughout  the  country  that 
make  a  business  of  distributing  the  finished  pictures.  There 
are  hundreds  of  these  offices  in  operation,  and  their  main- 
tenance is  extremely  expensive.  They  have  rent  to  pay, 
office  overhead,  exhibition  rooms,  shipping  departments  (  for 
these  offices  are  local  shipping  centers),  executives'  salaries, 
advertising  expenses,  and  so  forth.  Now,  if  instead  of  all 
these  distribution  offices,  there  were  one  centralized  bureau 
in  each  city  equipped  to  distribute  pictures  for  all  pro- 
ducers, the  cost  of  distribution  would  be  reduced  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  profits  of  a  picture  would  not  be  eaten  up  by 
this  superfluous  expense. 

The  public,  too,  would  profit  by  efficient  centralized 
bureaus,  for  the  theatre  owners  would  cut  down  the  price 
of  admission  if  the  cost  of  placing  the  pictures  in  their  hands 
would  be  reduced. 

But  aside  from  the  benefits  to  the  public  and  to  the 
motion  picture  producers,  centralization  of  distributing  of- 
fices would  solve,  to  some  extent,  the  problem  of  financing. 
It  is  my  firm  belief  that  unless  this  problem  of  distribution 
is  soon  solved,  banks  will  be  reluctant  to  advance  money  to 


ST.  MARY  OF  THE  ANGELS  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

THE  MOTION  Hm;RF.  PbOM^  CH  Rf  H  1W.  REVEREND  NE.11.  HOOD  RF.CU* 


Motion  Picture  Industry  113 

producers.  Hundred  per  cent  distribution  must  be  assured 
if  the  producer  is  to  receive  full  and  proper  returns  from  his 
investment,  and  unless  this  is  secured,  a  bank  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  loan  to  the  independent  producer.  Once  the 
banker  is  certain  that  the  expected  returns  will  be  received 
from  a  picture,  he  will  readily  advance  the  money.  But 
while  the  problem  of  distribution  is  as  troublesome  as  it  has 
been,  the  independent  producer  may  have  some  difficulty 
in  obtaining  money  from  the  banks. 

Another  expense  in  the  production  of  the  independent 
picture,  which  bankers  are  agreed  should  be  cut  down,  is 
the  salary  paid  to  stars  and  directors.  If  a  plan  could  be 
worked  out  whereby  the  stars  and  directors  would  work  on 
a  co-operative  basis  with  the  producer,  expenses  would  be 
very  much  lower.  Stars  and  directors  would  certainly  profit 
by  such  an  arrangement.  If  they  have  as  much  confidence 
in  themselves  as  their  demands  for  salary  warrant,  they 
should  be  content  with  this  arrangement,  for  surely  they 
would  earn  a  greater  sum  by  sharing  in  the  profits  of  the 
picture. 

Much  of  the  expense  of  motion  picture  censorship 
could  be  eliminated  if  the  banks  would  become  sufficiently 
interested  in  the  industry.  Censorship  was  established  to 
prevent  the  exhibition  of  pictures  of  a  suggestive  or  licen- 
tious character.  Now,  if  the  plan  for  a  picture  called  for 
actions  or  scenes  that  the  public  would  not  countenance,  a 
bank — after  its  appointed  expert  had  gone  over  the  manu- 
script— would  not  lend  money  for  the  production  of  such  a 
picture.  Can  you  imagine  a  bank  lending  money  to  a  pro- 
ducer if  it  finds  that  the  manuscript  is  not  up  to  the  required 
standard  ? 

When  the  independent  producer  succeeds  in  borrowing 
money  from  the  bank  with  which  to  carry  out  his  plans  for  a 
picture,  he  is  certain  of  one  thing.  All  waste  will  be  elimi- 
nated. The  bank  practically  makes  the  pictures.  All  bills 
contracted  by  the  producers  are  presented  to  the  bank  for 
auditing.  The  bank,  of  course,  owns  the  picture  until  such 
time  as  the  producer  has  returned  to  the  bank  the  sum  of 
money  advanced  plus  the  fair  share  of  interest.  Until  this 
is  done,  the  negative  and  all  prints  remain  the  property  of 
the  bank.  They  are  issued  to  the  distributor  on  a  trust  basis 


114  Opportunities  in  the 

until  they  earn  the  amount  that  was  loaned  for  their  manu- 
facture. After  this  has  been  met,  they  become  the  property 
of  the  producer. 

We  have  found  that  producers  need  assistance  most  in 
making  pictures  which  cost  anywhere  from  $80,000  to  $200,- 
000  to  produce.  This  figure  includes  the  cost  of  making  the 
positive  prints  that  the  theatre  owner  leases  for  the  length 
of  time  that  he  screens  them.  These  usually  cost  between 
$15,000  and  $20,000  to  make. 

A  bank  does  not  make  loans  to  moving  picture  pro- 
ducers for  the  sole  purpose  of  making  money  on  the  trans- 
action. The  Los  Angeles  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  for  in- 
stance, established  the  policy  of  making  loans  to  deserving 
producers  at  a  time  when  the  whole  country  was  going 
through  a  period  of  readjustment.  In  an  effort  to  assist  the 
industry  that  is  most  important,  perhaps,  in  our  city — and 
because  the  production  of  a  good  motion  picture  story  is 
always  a  good  risk — we  decided  to  keep  production  at  nor- 
mal by  financing  motion  picture  producers  whose  credentials 
warranted  such  a  service.  We  felt  that  we  were  helping 
both  an  important  industry  and  the  city  in  which  we  live. 

And  it  was  through  this  decision  that  I  first  became 
interested  in  the  motion  picture  industry,  and  was  prompted 
to  make  a  thorough  survey  of  conditions.  And  as  a  result 
of  my  experience  and  observations,  I  will  say  that  the  pro- 
duction of  a  motion  picture  is  a  good  investment  provided 
the  three  essential  standards  are  carefully  adherred  to — 
that  is  the  foundation  or  story  must  be  worth  while  spending 
time  and  money  to  produce — production  costs  must  be 
neither  exorbitant  nor  impractical — and  distribution  must 
be  efficiently  handled. 


Motion  Picture  Industry  115 

THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  HOLLYWOOD 

Ba  THE  REVEREND  NEAL  DODD 

Rector,  St.  Mary  of  the  Angels  Episcopal  Church, 
Hollywood,   California 

ARE  you  married  or  do  you  live  in  Hollywood ?" 
I  personally  would  like  to  make  answer  to 
that  question,  which  seems  to  have  penetrated 
into  the  remotest  corners  of  the  land.  In  my 
answer,  I  feel  that  there  will  be  reflected  the  sentiments  of 
the  heads  of  thousands  of  other  families.  We  are  married 
and  we  live  in  Hollywood.  Is  there  anything  unusual  about 
this  ?  Does  it  startle  you  to  hear  this  ?  Did  you  think  that 
married  people  do  not  live  in  Hollywood?  Of  all  coined 
and  malicious  insinuations,  none  is  more  unjust  and  unde- 
served than  this  reflection  upon  customs  in  the  center  of 
motion  picture  production,  which  is  populated  as  well  by 
people  in  every  walk  of  life. 

You  have  read  and  have  heard  repeated  by  word  of 
mouth  stories  of  the  wild  life  of  the  capital  of  the  film 
world.  You  have  been  told  by  that  mysterious  "somebody" 
that  hundreds  of  girls  have  bartered  their  good  name  in 
return  for  some  fancied  "pull,"  so  that  they  might  get  their 
chance  on  the  screen. 

The  American  press,  appreciating  the  national  interest 
in  anything  pertaining  to  the  motion  picture  industry,  has 
for  many  years  taken  advantage  of  the  slightest  opportunity 
to  write  at  length  about  a  star  of  the  screen,  once  he  has, 
through  some  act  upon  which  a  decent  community  would 
frown,  earned  the  privilege  of  breaking  into  print. 

All  of  this  has  made  fascinating  reading  and  you  have 
felt  free  to  believe  it.  You  have  thought  that  practically 
all  of  the  movie  folks  were  just  a  bit  off  color,  to  put  it 
mildly.  But  I  cannot  emphasize  too  strongly  the  fact  that 
you  are  wrong.  Hollywood  is  not  a  wicked  place.  It  is  not 
the  center  of  riotous  living  and  it  is  not  a  community  whose 
inhabitants  are  pleased  to  believe  that  star  dust  was  meant 
for  illumination  and  that  the  sun  was  meant  only  to  keep 
the  world  warm. 

On  the  contrary,  Hollywood  has  thousands  of  homes 
that  are  peopled  with  men  and  women  of  high  and  unim- 


116  Opportunities  in  the 

peachable  character,  whose  motives  are  sincere  and  whose 
endeavors  are  honest  and  faithful  to  the  fullest  measure. 

Husbands,  fathers,  mothers,  wives,  sons,  daughters — 
all  as  clean  of  mind  and  conduct  as  could  be  found  in  any 
business,  in  any  social  stratum  or  in  any  line  of  endeavor 
in  the  world,  easily  make  up  the  majority  of  the  population 
of  this  American  city. 

My  work  as  rector  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Angels  Episcopal 
Church  has  brought  me  in  close  touch  with  thousands  of 
motion  picture  folks.  My  church  is  their  church.  Only 
recently  this  article  appeared  in  the  "Hollywood  Informer," 
our  local  newspaper,  and  it  speaks  for  itself: 

"Buck  Jones,  a  cowboy  screen  celebrity  who  makes 
daredevil  westerns  for  the  Fox  Film  Company,  became  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Hollywood  last  Friday. 
He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Neal  Dodd,  pastor  of  St.  Mary  of 
the  Angels,  and  originator  of  the  Moving  Picture  People's 
'Little  Church  Around  the  Corner.' 

"Mr.  Jones,  who  is  usually  a  pretty  bad  man  with  a 
gun  in  the  pictures,  has  for  years  enjoyed  a  reputation  in 
the  film  colony  of  being  a  generous,  big  hearted,  lovable  man. 
He  is  not  the  sort  that  talks  about  his  personal  convictions 
as  to  moral  rights  and  wrongs,  but  acts  upon  his  belief. 
When  he  made  up  his  mind  to  affiliate  himself  with  the 
church  he  made  no  spectacular  moves  but  went  to  the  pastor, 
expressed  his  wishes  and  quietly  and  with  becoming  dignity 
bowed  his  head  for  the  baptism  that  made  him  a  soldier 
of  God." 

And  so  it  is  every  day  in  Hollywood. 

Recently  a  group  of  representative  citizens  of  Beverly 
Hills,  adjoining  Hollywood,  and  a  section  where  many  of 
the  more  prominent  motion  picture  folk  have  built  beautiful 
homes,  met  to  form  a  polo  club.  In  the  group  was  Will 
Rogers.  After  the  plans  for  the  new  club  had  been  told  to 
the  assembled  gathering,  Will  rose  and  told  them  that  he 
would  not  go  a  bit  further  in  the  matter.  He  could  see  no 
reason  for  supporting  or  assisting  to  found  an  institution 
that  would  be  snobbish  and  that  would  keep  the  general 
public  away  from  contact  with  the  club  members.  Instead 
of  forming  the  club  he  proposed  that  the  money  that  would 
have  been  subscribed  for  that  purpose  be  subscribed  for  the 


Motion  Picture  Industry  117 

purpose  of  founding  a  new  church  for  Beverly  Hills.  The 
majority  of  those  present  saw  the  wisdom  of  his  suggestion 
and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  the  money  was  sub- 
scribed and  Beverly  Hills  will  shortly  boast  as  fine  a 
church  as  any  large  city  has. 

That's  typical  of  the  spirit  which  pervades  the  people 
who  go  to  make  up  the  population  of  Hollywood  and  sur- 
rounding territory.  Four  years  of  work  among  them  has 
qualified  me  to  speak  as  I  do,  and  now  that  the  opportunity 
presents  itself  I  certainly  am  happy  to  tell  the  readers  of 
these  splendid  volumes  what  really  is  the  truth  about 
Hollywood.  I  came  to  Hollywood  of  my  own  free  will,  and 
soon  became  recognized  as  the  chaplain  of  the  motion  picture 
colony.  I  was  welcomed  heartily  and  the  attendance  at  the 
little  church  I  established  has  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
continue  the  work.  I  have  viewed  Hollywood  and  its  citi- 
zens from  every  angle  and  I  cannot  see  where  they  are 
different  or  where  life  in  their  community  differs  essen- 
tially from  life  of  any  other  city  of  similar  size.  I  have 
found  that  the  bulk  of  the  movie  people  are  "regular"  peo- 
ple. Their  way  of  living  differs  only  from  others  because, 
instead  of  going  to  factories,  shops  and  offices  to  earn  their 
living,  they  go  to  the  studios. 

To  the  uninitiated,  studio  life  seems  to  mean  an  easy, 
carefree  existence.  In  reality  it  is  hard  work,  and  only  those 
putting  forth  their  very  best  efforts  at  all  times  can  hope  for 
recognition.  The  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the  screen, 
and  especially  the  stars,  have  earned  their  position  and  popu- 
larity only  because  they  have  labored  sincerely  and  for  a 
long  time. 

To  be  a  star  of  the  screen  is  no  sinecure.  It  means 
that  much  time  must  have  been  spent  in  mastering  the  vari- 
ous phases  of  the  pantomimic  art.  And  when  after  a  period 
of  study  and  service  one  does  reach  the  stage  where  he  is 
recognized  as  a  star,  do  you  think  it  is  fair  to  allow  just  any- 
one whose  name  happens  to  be  used  in  connection  with 
"parties"  of  various  sorts  to  palm  himself  off  as  a  "motion 
picture  star?" 

In  the  name  of  fair  play  I  appeal  to  motion  picture  fans 
at  large  to  consider  a  moment  who  really  are  the  stars  of 
the  screen.  Take,  for  instance,  such  young  ladies  and  gentle- 


118  Opportunities  in  the 

men  as  Lois  Wilson,  or  Alice  Calhoun,  Richard  Barthel- 
mess,  Ethel  Clayton,  Lila  Lee,  Conrad  Nagle,  Mae  McAvoy, 
or  Milton  Sills,  or  any  of  the  hundreds  more  I  could  name. 
They  are  motion  picture  stars  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
They  shine  brightly  not  only  because  of  beauty  of  face,  but 
rather  because  of  their  beauty  of  character.  Personality, 
cleanliness  of  action  and  living,  histrionic  talent  and  a  fin- 
ished performance  crowning  only  years  of  hard  work  have 
made  them  motion  picture  stars. 

They  are  representative  of  the  true  Hollywood.  To 
know  them  as  I  know  them  is  to  know  the  truth  about 
Hollywood.  I  would  indeed  be  proud  to  acknowledge  them 
as  daughters  and  sons  of  my  own.  But  since  it  is  not  the 
case,  I  feel  that  I  should  tell  you  of  them  and  their  hundreds 
of  brother  artists. 

They,  with  their  brother  and  sister  actors,  and  a  thou- 
sand others  whose  names  you  have  never  heard  and  prob- 
ably never  will  hear,  make  up  but  a  portion  of  the  population 
of  Hollywood.  All  are  earnest,  sincere,  and  conscientious 
workers. 

Recently  there  has  been  much  said  and  written  of  the 
acts  of  certain  people  high  up  in  movie  circles.  The  effect 
that  this  has  had  upon  the  American  public  is  best  reflected 
in  the  wild  stories  about  Hollywood  that  now  seem  to  be 
on  every  tongue.  Most  emphatically  I  wish  to  state  that 
these  affairs  are  no  more  typical  of  life  in  the  West  Coast 
film  colony  than  is  the  act  of  a  minister  who  recently  slew 
his  wife  typical  of  life  in  the  ministry.  He  has  been  sen- 
tenced to  life  imprisonment.  But  would  you  now  condemn 
all  ministers  just  because,  of  the  many  thousands  of  splen- 
did men  who  have  been  ordained,  one  has  been  convicted 
of  a  terrible  crime?  Let  us  hope  not.  Or  would  you  say 
just  because  of  the  infidelity  of  a  certain  banker,  recently 
resigned  from  the  post  of  president  of  one  of  the  most  pow- 
erful banking  institutions  in  the  world,  that  all  bankers, 
therefore,  must  be  as  loose  in  conduct  as  was  this  banker? 
Let  us  hepe  not. 

Is  it  consistent  with  all  the  glorious  traditions  of  Ameri- 
can fair  play  to  indict  the  film  world  at  large  just  because  a 
few  of  its  number  may  have  strayed  from  the  path  of  right 
living? 


Motion  Picture  Industry  119 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  theatrical  people  flock  to  Holly- 
wood because  once  there  they  can  enter  upon  a  life  as  wild 
as  their  senses  demand.  How  foolish  this  would  sound  to 
you  if  only  it  were  your  privilege  to  visit  this  city,  and  see 
for  yourself  how  absolutely  unfounded  ninety-nine  out  of 
every  hundred  stories  that  cast  a  bad  light  upon  Hollywood 
really  are.  Of  all  people  who  love  a  home,  none  can  have 
that  love  more  firmly  intrenched  within  them  than  the- 
atrical people.  It  is  their  desire  for  that  home  which  brings 
them  to  this  sunny  city  of  ours.  You  are  enjoying  the  com- 
forts of  your  home.  You  know  how  nice  it  is  to  have  your 
own  breakfast  served  at  your  own  home  table.  Do  you 
imagine  for  one  moment,  then,  that  theatrical  people  are  not 
possessed  of  the  same  domestic  feelings  that  you  yourself 
probably  have? 

You  do  them  a  great  injustice.  Here  in  Hollywood 
they  are  enabled  to  build  homes  and  live  in  them  just 
as  you  yourself  live  in  your  own  home.  This  is  their 
privilege  here  simply  because  they  are  close  to  their  work. 
That  is  the  real  reason  why  Hollywood  attracts  so  many 
people  of  the  theatrical  profession.  Years  spent  in  hotel 
rooms  have  made  them  even  keener  than  many  laymen 
to  own  their  own  home.  In  Hollywood  they  are  enabled  to 
work  and  live  but  a  few  short  city  blocks  from  their  work. 

Most  people  are  pleased  to  think  that  Hollywood  is 
populated  solely  by  people  in  the  motion  picture  profession. 
This  is  not  a  fact.  Thousands  live  in  Hollywood  who  never 
get  closer  to  the  screen  than  the  front  row  of  their  favorite 
movie  theatre.  And  it  also  is  the  impression  that  everybody 
in  the  movies  is  a  player.  Once  again  allow  me  to  correct 
you.  For  every  actor  or  actress  living  in  Hollywood  there 
are  numbers  of  other  movie  folk — directors,  cameramen, 
carpenters,  scenario  writers,  scenario  readers,  publicity  men 
and  women,  electricians,  property  men,  wardrobe  mistresses, 
laboratory  experts  and  workers,  scene  painters,  and  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  myriad  staffs  that  go  to  make  up  the 
personnel  of  a  motion  picture  studio.  All  combined,  coupled 
with  a  large  percentage  of  non -professional  residents,  go  to 
make  up  the  population  of  Los  Angeles'  most  popular  suburb. 

I  know,  personally  and  intimately,  probably  as  many  of 
the  real  people  of  Hollywood  as  anyone  else  does,  and  by 


120        Opportunities  in  the   Motion  Picture  Industry 

my  acquaintance  with  them  I  judge  Hollywood.  Wild 
stories  that  an  hysterical  press  seems  only  too  eager  to  print 
should  not  be  believed  by  the  public.  In  mighty  few  in- 
stances have  I  seen  dissension  in  the  homes  of  motion  picture 
folk.  Of  course  I've  seen  some.  But  I  have  also  seen  dis- 
sension in  many  homes  not  populated  by  motion  picture  folk. 

One  hears  that  this  beautiful  suburb  is  the  one  place 
where  Uncle  Sam  winks  a  knowing  eye  at  prohibition  viola- 
tions. It  is  rumored  that  in  Hollywood  every  faucet  spouts 
wine  instead  of  water.  How  silly  such  rumors  are  and  how 
absolutely  unsupported  by  facts !  Can  you  imagine  a  motion 
picture  star  appearing  before  the  merciless  camera  lens  the 
morning  after  one  of  these  supposedly  wild  parties?  Do 
you  think  that  you  yourself  could  do  it  had  you  partici- 
pated in  a  "party"  the  night  before?  Of  course  you  could 
not.  Why,  then,  should  motion  picture  players  be  able  to 
do  it?  It  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  work  if  they 
indulged  in  all  the  various  dissipations  with  which  they  are 
credited.  If  that  has  been  the  mental  picture  you  have 
drawn  of  Hollywood  you  have  been  greatly  mistaken. 

If  you  have  thought  that  sunsets  in  Hollywood  are  in 
reality  sunrises,  and  that  once  darkness  has  come  over  the 
city  the  motion  picture  folk  rouse  themselves  and  prepare  for 
their  night  orgies,  you  have  done  a  great  injustice  to  a  very 
sincere  class  of  workers.  If  this  were  the  case,  just  when  do 
you  think  they  would  be  able  to  work?  When  would  they 
make  the  pictures  that  give  so  much  pleasure  and  entertain- 
ment to  millions  of  people  all  over  the  world  ? 

Hollywood  is  not  populated  by  gorgeously  dressed 
women  and  sleek  men.  It  is  a  simple  city.  Simple  in  its 
ways  and  customs.  The  women  are  most  often  garbed  in 
sport  clothes,  fashioned  to  permit  them  to  take  a  healthy 
interest  in  athletics;  and  men  as  well,  often  seen  in  their 
golf  togs  ready  for  a  round  of  that  very  popular  form  of 
recreation.  Hollywood  is  honest — sincere — the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  professional  population  are  aware  of  the  fact 
that  they  have  a  serious  mission  to  fulfill  in  appearing  in  the 
pictures  which  are  the  basis  of  many  a  man's  entertainment. 
If  you  have  had  any  but  the  right  kind  of  an  impression  of 
Hollywood,  I  counsel  you  to  change  your  impression  and 
accept  the  truth  from  one  who  really  knows  it. 


University  of  California 

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* 


Form  L9-Series  444 


UCLA-Theater  Arts  Library 

PN  1995.9  P75  P5  v.1 


L  006  288  256  8 


Art*     Lbra 


